Express Yourself

Well this week I started at the New York State Library. So far they really don't have much for me to do there. Another job sitting and waiting for the clock to tick faster. But at least this job will look great on the resume.

The best thing about the job is the view out the window. I am on the tenth floor of the building which sits on a high point in Albany. I felt like I was getting vertigo for a bit my first day, but who knows what vertigo even feels like, maybe it was nothing.

Having something to do two days a week isn't so bad. Most people work five days then have two off, for me its the opposite.

Lately we have been going to the local library all the time. The DVD selection is great and Brian has been getting CDs out like its his job. I have been reading so much, I don't think I've read this much since my summer breaks during middle/high school. If I was in a summer reading program now, I would get tons of points for all the books I'm reading.

You can really feel the heat coming now. The weather has been so rainy lately, but now that it has stopped, the heat has started. I love going to the neighboorhood pool here so I hope to go all the time and get a fabulous tan.

Feeling hot hot hot

I turn 25 tomorrow, kinda feeling old. Thank god I have some sort of plan for my life right now or I might be freaking out about 25 more.

The best thing about having a birthday in Albany is going to Bombers and getting your free giant margarita. We now have a new option of a glass boot filled with free birthday beer at the Beer Garden. We tried going there for Brian's birthday but the boot had been broken. Apparently eight boots have been broken since the place opened about a month ago. As much as I like all that free beer I like a free margarita more.

I haven't been writing on this blog as much. Being unemployed is a trial to be sure. When you meet people they automatically ask what you do and when you do nothing that's a bit of a downer question. Anyway, I just really don't have much to write about on this blog unless people want to know all the books and movies I have been consuming.

Since last writing I attended two graduation ceremonies. My friend Anna graduated from Seton Hall becoming a Speech Pathologist. It was a really nice ceremony and all of her friends came out to support her since her family couldn't make it. Brian's ceremony was equally nice. While I sat with his parents I could tell how proud they were of him (me too). I got excited watching him graduate knowing I would be in the same spot in two years, graduating from my program. We figured out Brian's cousin should be at the same ceremony at U Albany with me, so that will be fun.

On Thursday I head off to Michigan for a whirlwind three day visit. I am so excited to go down to Festival again! I really think that Festival weekend is the most fun you can have in Grand Rapids all year long. I haven't been able to attend since the summer of 2007.

Lately our apartment building is like a revolving door. People moving out and in all the time. We can't tell if this is more than normal since we don't usually spend so much time in our apartment. Either way we have new neighbors next to us, hopefully they will be on the quiet side.

Pups

For quite a while now, I have been informing Brian that as soon as our living arrangements allow, I really want a puppy. I have not had a puppy of my own to play with since the 2nd grade when we got our first family dog Shelby. Shelby was so cute and little; we picked the smallest girl and the runt of the litter. She may have chewed up everything and peed on stuff in the beginning but it was totally worth it. When my whole family walked in the door with a full grown 2-year old that was Bailey (our current dog) I was pretty bummed that we missed out on his puppy year. Bailey would have been a very cute puppy. Brian family's dog gave birth to a litter of adorable Springer pups and I love looking at pictures of them.

But the more I think about having a dog, I don't know if I ever will. I hate things being dirty, I hate washing animals, and I hate the hair. I hate the way my hands feel after petting a dog or cat. I don't like the way houses can come to smell like the animals that live there and not the people. Maybe a puppy isn't in my future, but I still love to see them.

Not again

Well the weather is warm again and here in our apartment/neighborhood that means a lot of things.
-The living room will soon become a boiler
-The window air conditioner will create a nice ice box in our bedroom
-Everyone will descend on Washington Park to lay out and throw things at each other
-Dogs will be everywhere
-Everyone will try to sit outside at Lark Tavern and Lionheart
-Our neighbors will have parties with lost of people outside on their patios

-Most importantly, the wasps and carpenter bees are back!!!



They look like this! Ugh that noise makes my whole body tense up. I can hear them from across the street! Those females want to drill into my life.

The horrid things buzz around our screens and swoop at you when you are trying to innocently get up the stairs to your door. After a lot of research today I learned that they are rarely aggressive, yeah, whatever. I also learned that they return to where they are born every year and are pretty hard to get ride of. This information combined with the fact that our landlord has more important things on his mind means that I will spend another summer not sitting on our little porch. I hate them.

This week was also free food week for us.
Monday - free Bombers
Tuesday - free Ben and Jerry's
Wednesday - sadly none
Thursday - free Chipotle
Friday - we tried to use a Friendly's coupon for free ice cream and they called us fraudulent
Today - We are going to try again with a different Friendly's

Butterfly in the sky

Well after lots of studying for the hellish GMATs and lots of applications, I ended up getting into two SUNY Albany grad programs: the MBA program and the Masters of Science in Information Studies. I choose Information Studies and plan take courses to become a school media specialist (librarian). I blame all that working with kids I did, my parents for making me read so much, and obviously Reading Rainbow with some Wishbone thrown in.



I am really excited to go back to school full-time and start a new chapter (books!) of my life.

In other unemployment news, I am still unemployed. This left me free to go visit the fam in GR on easter. The 11 hour drive was pretty good. There was no traffic at any of the borders (never happens) and a book on tape made the time fly. The visit was really nice, I got to see lots of family and many friends. I think Bailey misses me already.

Brian and I have been going to a rescue mission to serve dinner about once a week. They really needed us yesterday when we showed up. It's always nice to feel needed there and we have become friendly with a lot of the staff. One of the guys was working on a word puzzle. He walked up to me to ask a question, "You should know this, is the term administration?"
I ask in what context, he can't seem to be able figure out how to answer me. I tell him administration is a word and it can be correct. We go round and round. He asks Brian, he asks other people, everyone is confused. He comes back to me, "This administration term is for a 20 day cycle. Maybe a 14-20 day cycle".
Ohhhh now I get what he doesn't want to ask, "Do you mean the female cycle?" I ask him.
"Yeah, yeah that cycle!"
"That is called MENstruation not administration."


And for good measure Wishbone as Mr. Darcy:

Keep it cool, what's the name of this club?

We had a special election yesterday which Brian and his parents voted in. It was kinda of a big deal with national coverage and all that jazz. A couple weeks ago I found out that two guys I graduated high school with were working on this same campaign for the democratic candidate. I went out to volunteer for a day which was pretty interesting. I was skittish about making phone calls before I got there but I eased into it and it was pretty easy. I was calling those listed on the absentee list, so it was mostly older people who have trouble getting out. Some where nice and some were not. Now this democratic candidate is ahead by 50 something votes and those absentee calls might matter. Like I said to Brian in a close race like this, how can you argue that your vote doesn't matter.

I have been reading all the books that I'd been meaning to read and watching all the movies I'd been meaning to watch. Most have been worth it. Ghost Town not so much.

This past Friday we went to the dinner dance Brian's program puts on every year. The food was awesome but sadly the DJ was not. He decided we loved 90s songs many of us had never heard and played them all night long.

Pancakes at my place!

It is currently 56 degrees here in Albany, NY. Tomorrow they say it will be 59. This means two things; I get to wear my sunglasses all the time (I enjoy wearing sunglasses) and that the wasps are back to hovering right outside out apartment windows (terrifying).

Last weekend I went down to stay with my friend Thuan and see Anna in the city. I love visiting, but lord, all that walking wore me out. I think my feet are still recovering. We had a really good time. Thuan cooked us the most delicious Vietnamese meal which included some of her best egg-rolls ever. Her place is great and all her friends were super nice and fun to hang out with. I used my trusty TomTom to drive in and out of the city. It went surprisingly well, I only got honked at twice.

As I mentioned before in this blog, I have been looking forward to jury duty for a long time. Yesterday was finally the day! When the whole jury pool was finally in the court room the judge read the charges. It was for a murder case, a stabbing! Pretty intense stuff. Then they began pulling random juror numbers to begin the questioning for jury selection. I was the second number called. The questioning went on for what seemed like two hours, which was just of the thirty or so jurors, like myself, that had their numbers pulled in the first group. I really didn't have to answer them for many of their questions. Most of the other people were older than me and had way more life experience that might hinder then from being open-minded. In the end I, along with most all of the first group, was excused. I am curious why I was excused. It may have been because the accused was a young person like myself or because I had a family member in the military. I guess I'll never know.

I've always wanted to be on a jury, but a murder trial may have been too intense for me. Now I get to wait another six years for my next chance.