Month: April 2017

Realistically how many days of work do you need to go through before you repeat an outfit?  I’m almost at my one month work anniversary.  I admit I wore one dress twice.  I’ve worn some other items twice but never in the same combo but now I think I have to start repeating.  What will help immensely is Friday is jean day.  Since wearing jeans in Florida is like an “are you effing kidding me” option (it’s way too hot now) it does open up dress down options such as capris and that opens up a lot of Friday options for me.  But Friday is also supposed to be green day.  Green is Stetson’s color, so we’re supposed to wear green, sort of like a hunter green, on Fridays. (Print: Pantone 363 Web: #3D8E33)  I don’t own any green.  Not that dark green color anyway.  I did!  I had this really perfect t-shirt style skirt with a green stripe that I used to pair with a green t-shirt except the skirt made it into the giveaway pile last Fall.  Since it’s almost graduation and the students will be gone I think I’ll hold off investing in any green “spirit” wear until the fall when the students come back and football season starts.  What would be ideal would be to buy a new outfit every payday to add to the rotation.  Tomorrow is payday.  I wonder if a new outfit will make the cut.

My list is getting smaller of required items. Some things I realize I just don’t need or want (like a microwave) but the other day I came home for lunch and thought I’d have a tuna salad lunch. All excited to try something other than PB&J I got the can down from the cupboard and…..no can opener.  HA!  I had one of those Pampered Chef can opener’s that I was sure to pack when I moved from the Baker household last year because I loved it so and well…it apparently didn’t make it into a “keep” box as I can’t find it.  It should have been in my “favorite things” box OR in my Kitchen Aid mixer box but nooo.. Although I’m still not convinced that it’s lost for good.  I have a feeling it’s here somewhere, but it kind of serves me right.  My old roommate didn’t realize I took the can opener and I remember him telling me last summer that he was in the middle of making dinner and went to open a can and there was no can opener.  In my defense (not that I need one) I really thought he had another one but anyway, here I am without a can opener, like can opener karma.  And that does not mean for anyone to send me one.  It’s just supposed to be a funny story about not being able to find things.

Speaking of people sending you things and buying things, my boss has us over for breakfast for staff meetings every Monday morning.  I mean really, how nice/cool is that?  Soo nice.  I’ll of course never be able to reciprocate (due to space constraints) but anyway, what a nice thing to do.  So I was there on Monday commenting on the fact that I loved the home delivery option (remember my love of the Purple Carrot deliveries?) and well anyway she gets Blue Apron and Hello Fresh which prompted the conversation.   Two days later?  I get a gift of a week’s worth of Blue Apron.  I thanked her profusely of course and she said “why not…you said you liked it.” – HA! I asked if she was Italian because Jimmy’s Nunni is like that.  If you walk into her house and say you like anything she’ll want to give it to you.  I learned to never compliment anything in her house.  You definitely can’t say you like something she has cooked because she won’t let you stop eating.  But then of course if you don’t say you like it she’ll think you hate it.  Ahhh, memories.  Well anyway, I’m looking forward to my Blue Apron delivery.  I may think about getting one a month.  We’ll see.  I’ll have to figure out my budget after my FIRST payday.  It’s very exciting.

And I’m not even eating cereal the day before payday. Tonight I’m having steak, baked potato and green beans from the farmer’s market.  Yea I know, I should just have had the steak and beans.  The potato is a little too much but it’ sooo good.

This weekend, in addition to getting my new can opener, I think I might work on that yard a little.  Nothing is growing there now.  I think there’s a reason for that.  I have a feeling nothing can grow there, but I’m gonna give it a try.  I’ll see what they have at the farmer’s market in the way of plants, in addition to my week’s worth of veggies.  Aren’t I just settling in so?

And that’s it for your mid-week pick me up. Life in Lynn’s head.  Hmmmm, is that the title of my next book?

xoxoxo

Jimmy’s friend (Jeffrey) used to say all the time when he was at our house “it’s peanut butter jelly time” – I think he used to do a dance too…maybe the dance had something to do with stirring the butter…kids… Anyway, it’s stuck with me…mostly because I’m known for always eating and making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Back in the day it was with Nestle’s Quik in milk; also known as chocolate milk, except I wouldn’t stir the chocolate.  I would just eat it off the bottom.  I have graduated from that but I still like the occasional peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Not as much as I used to I’m happy to report because believe it or not it’s a little too sweet for me these days…says the person who ate EIGHT cookies yesterday because obviously they weren’t too sweet.

Why am I thinking of Jeffrey and Peanut Butter jelly time?  Because I made cookies.

I made cookies in my brand new apartment size stove with a window!  That window is adorable.  My landlord was also excited about the window.  He told me when he saw the window he said it had to be that one. I think I have a good landlord(s).  So I took them the first batch of cookies.  I had to list the  ingredients because everyone has some sort of allergy these days but luckily they past the allergy test.  I promised a co-worker that as soon as I had a new stove I would bring in cookies and since I don’t like to break promises I’m making the rest of the batch for work.  I’m feeling a bit like myself again.  A little blend of the new and old.  New stove, new and old spatula(s), new oven mitt, but old kitchen aid mixer and old cookie  sheet.  I have saved that cookie sheet from years and years and YEARS ago because I swear it is the only one that cooks them perfectly.  The oven is doing a pretty good job too apparently.

Next I’ll be roasting the beets that I got Friday night at the farmers market, the foodie I am, I’m very excited about the farmer’s market here.  I bought a bag of greens – not much lettuce in it – but she threw in all kinds of leafy items including nasturtiums – told me to be sure to eat the flowers – so I did when I made a salad last night.  The flowers were the best part.  Well anyway, tonight it’s beets (from the farmer’s market) and cookies.  Dinner of champions.

Also this weekend…I found the beach.  All I have to do is come out of my parking spot and make a right and drive for 25 miles and voilà I am there, at New Smyrna Beach. After getting beeped at by several drivers who were not so patient with my slow driving while I was trying to find my way around I did find off street parking.  So follow along with the pictures:

At this point I had not yet seen the beach – I just knew it was there up and over those steps.  I walked up the steps:

And this is what I saw:

I swear I was in shock.  It is not the same as walking over from Stephanie’s or from my own 150 steps or from any place I went in the last 3 years ever.  All I could think of was “I’m not in Kansas anymore.” I mean I like took a step back and said out loud “holy shit” – almost turned around and got back in the car but I did not. I ventured forward.  The brave soul that I am.

Here’s the scene from the beach level.

It was way too crowded.  Way too big.  I didn’t like it one bit.  BUT, I plopped my chair down anyway and read a bit.  Actually it was okay then as I blocked everything else out…but then I decided I wanted to venture on up the coast and find South Daytona Shores which a friend told me I would probably like.  So back in the car – made a right to go North – 15 minutes later I’m in the Daytona Beach area.  I DID like it more. Even though it’s highrise after highrise – once I got onto the beach it was much less crowded.  I decided I like the idea of driving onto the beach ($10 a day or $25 for a yearly pass for a resident.  Guess who’s a resident?) So I drove onto the beach and parked and loved it.  LOVED it.

The Ocean is not the Gulf.  The Ocean is so much bigger and grander and did I mention bigger and romantic.  You know?  I mean it’s the Ocean – Atlantis is under there! Across the Ocean is Africa.  Across the Gulf is Texas.  The Gulf to me was always like a big lake.  That said I had/have learned to love the Gulf and given the option, at least today, I would choose to live on that Gulf side of the state BUT I do think I’m going to love the Ocean as well.  The water was warm enough to go in but I did not.  It was a little overwhelming.  Again so big and it looked rough to me and well you know I’m no spring chicken and it wasn’t that hot and I was alone and well so I read my book.  Here’s scenes from this beach:

Oh and then I just walked across the little pathway (that’s for cars) and put my stuff in the trunk and went for a walk.  Ya know? Kinda nice to have that option to just lock up your stuff in your car that is right there…on the beach…BUT I did notice when I pulled into that sand that my car just sunk. I tried to back up a bit and just spun.  That’s when I first got there.  I decided to worry about it later.

Meanwhile, a lifeguard came by (in a truck) took one look at my car, unprovoked by me, stopped, got a shovel and dug around my tires.  To which I then approached him and thanked him and told him I was worried about that – he said I should be fine just keep the wheels straight and back up.  Well, yea,,,,,when it was time to go after a lovely lovely day I got stuck.  I did what the lifeguard said – I kept it straight and when I “thought” I was on the road (so to speak) I cut the wheel.  Also the tide was coming in and I was afraid of backing up too far into the water.  It was a narrow space.  Well anyway, down I went, into the sand.  I think I cut it too soon.  Two guys got up and came to my aid.  They dug around my tires and it did nothing.  Then they tried to push and still nothing, I’m just sinking more and now I’m blocking the road.  Along comes two really handsome men (and their girlfriends I suppose) in a golf cart – I swear they were like football players or something – and just without a word – got out and came over to push – big smiles on their faces.  One of their girlfriend’s said she wanted to push too and got out to help.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of all of them – but I was mortified to say the least.  Luckily the FIVE of them pushed me right out and home I came. When I got home I saw my neighbors and told them about getting stuck on the beach and they implied that it’s totally normal to get stuck.  I guess that makes me feel a little better but not real clear about where to park next time.  Do I just park and let people push me out every time?

I took a different road home and passed a mall, the Daytona Beach airport and the Daytona Speedtrack.  Have you ever seen the speedtrack?

It is the biggest thing I have ever ever seen.  I saw it the first time when I came down here with Jimmy in 2009 on a college tour trip.  So this was my second time and I was still as awe-struck as the first.  I mean it’s jaw dropping big, at least to me.  Well anyway, I believe that road (not the road I took in the morning) will be my go to road because believe it or not I kinda miss civilization.  As I am trying to reinvent myself….again…and trying to figure out what I want out of life I vacillate between living alone-ish on a Greek Island with a really good farmers market and a beach – to missing a mall, a movie theater, and my bunkoettes.  And sooo many days when I miss my boys, and Zenah (all of them really) and I just wonder about moving away from EVERYONE….and I think to myself what did I do? (with big tears) And then other days, when I’m at the beach alone with my book I think I’m in heaven.

The book I’m reading?  It’s the first one I got from my library.  It’s called Rebirth, by Kamal Ravikant. Sometimes I’ll go into a bookstore (or library) and just pick out a book because everytime I do that it is something that I need to hear.  So without knowing anything about this book I picked it off the shelf.  Well, obviously that’s half a lie based on the title of the book Rebirth and all.  But anyway, the story I knew nothing about.  Turns out it’s about a man (young adult) walking the Camino (the Camino de Santiago).  Diane walked that Camino.  I think of her as I read the book, I can’t believe she did that.  It’s such a cool experience.  Anyway, the author meets so many other pilgrims (that’s what they call themselves, pilgrims) along his journey all of course who help with his dilemma.  Of course there is an ex-girlfriend involved.  An ex-girlfriend of 5 months.  I had to go back and reread that and make sure I was right about the 5 months.  Cause seriously, ya know?  But why am I judging?  I need to stop that.  He misses her but his father has also died and he’s having a really really tough time with that.  Everyone he meets is going through something or has gone through something.

Here are a couple of my favorite passages:

“You are at the edge of a cliff and you stand and wait for wings to grow before you jump…But life wants you to jump first, then your wings grow.  And I assure you, they grow quickly.”

“If I loved myself, what would I do?”

“To think your hurt is special is nonsense.  You have pain, I have pain. The world has stories of pain..It is not your wound that makes you special….It is the light that shines through that does.”

I recommend this book to anyone going through “a time.”  There are so many passages in there that I love. I wish I could write them all on here.

I’m not in pain…I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea but I am going through a time of figuring stuff out….still and again. I know I know it seems like I’ve been going through that time for a LONG time, but really it’s not even a year yet and think about all that has happened in a year.  This time last year I was living with this big family, in a big(ish) house(certainly compared to now), traveling, planning a vacation with the girls, then I lived at the beach for three months and there was Stephanie who became such a big part of my life in such a short time, left there in a hurricane to drive to Virginia, left Virginia in another hurricane back to Florida, gave up on Florida and went back to Virginia accepting my fate, trying to get settled there only to be upended again and back in Florida in a completely new place. All that in a year!! Like nothing is familiar. NOTHING, okay except maybe Publix.  Sometimes I just walk through Publix so I can feel at home – I know right?  Home. WTF.  The book talks about the Camino walk is in three parts; life, death and rebirth.  Guess that’s true for any life journey if you think about it.  I mean having kids is life, they grow, they move that’s death, and then what you do after that is rebirth.  For me that rebirth is really taking some twists and turns.  So many twists and turns I’m having a hard time keeping up. I hope I can make all those twists and turns into bestsellers!!  HA!!!

Okay – that’s it – my thoughts for the day.  Old and new.  Chocolate chip cookies in a new oven.  A new spatula and an old cookie sheet.  The Ocean and my old beach chair.

The beets are wayyy over cooked.

xoxoxo

I don’t know, Keifer Sutherland is just not convincing as the President to me.  I can’t wrap my heart around this Designated Survivor show.  I want to.  I like the premise but I’m just not feeling him.  Like does he have to have that whispery voice?  Breathy?  It’s just weird.  So I thought I’d check in and blog before I hit the hay.

Life is going. I had a lovely lovely LOVELY weekend over at the beach with Stephanie and crew.  Saw my old beach neighbor who loaded me up with glass pieces for the apt, had great laughs and food with Stephanie and her friends, who are now my friends too, got some sun and went to a sunrise service steps from her house where I ran into Rick Cole.  Always fun to run into Sewickley people when you’re 1000 miles from home (home being Sewickley in this scenario).  So this is funny, Rick came over to Stephanie’s after the sunrise service for coffee and when I introduced them he said “I think we’ve met” prompting her to get her key chain and show him a picture that we took together in 1995 at Crabby Bills. So in 1995 John and I came(went) to St Pete Beach for a weekend, the ONLY time John and I ever went anywhere alone together (without Jimmy) and well anyway so we hooked up with Rick as he lives around St Pete Beach too. At the same time friends Jean and Diane, also from Pittsburgh, were  staying in St. Pete Beach visiting Stephanie, so we all met at Crabby Bills. At the time Crabby Bills took pictures and we had a group picture made into key chains. Stephanie STILL has that picture on her keychain.  How wild is that? I probably have that picture in a box somewhere.  But I quit carrying it on my key chain long ago. It was pretty funny when she pulled that picture out.

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

It wasn’t too bad of a drive over or back.  Both times I made it in under 3 hours.  So not too bad.  I sure do love it over there.  I love the beach and I love my sunsets.  This weekend I’m going to try and find a beach on the east coast.  I’m reluctant to go to New Smyrna Beach, which is probably the closest, because it is literally the shark bite capital of the world.  A friend recommended South Daytona Beach so I think I’ll try that. I haven’t read about too many bites that happen there. Rick (the marine biologist) said it has something to do with currents causing the sharks to feed at New Smyrna.  Go figure.  Well anyway,

I’ve been hanging some pictures around the new place making it look a little more like home:

I also ordered my first new piece of furniture from Target…thanks to a generous benefactor, and well get this…it was supposed to be delivered today and when I got home, excited to put it together, I had a notice from UPS saying I needed to sign for it.  So then I called them and they said that the driver made that decision (to get a signature) based on the fact that it’s an unsafe neighborhood.  Really?  So yea, this is where I live.  The UPS won’t even leave the boxes.  So I told them to leave it anyway and I’ll take my chances.  I may be wrong but I really don’t think someone is going to come onto the porch and take the boxes.  But if they do then that’ll be that. Honestly it “looks” like a decent neighborhood for the most part but if you see any of the people who walk by you might make that unsavory conclusion.  But it’s had me thinking all night about where I live and now I’m kinda pissed because I don’t want to think I’m unsafe.  Well hopefully there will be some boxes here tomorrow night and I’ll have my first “new” piece of furniture. My glass friend gave me a plant stand so that’s new too. But really, am I going to be here longer than a year?  Should I just live out of the boxes for the whole year in the bedroom?  And quit getting new stuff? I’m thinking “yes” – plus less furniture to move next year as I’m probably not going to have moving expenses paid again…ever.

Work is work and it’s good and I work long days and they are starting summer hours in a few weeks, but I don’t know that I’ll really get to be part of that because I’m so busy.  Anyway, Point Park people will probably laugh because I fought for summer hours for 8 years and now I’m going to get them and I may not even get to enjoy them. I like my job and I love all the people I’ve met.  There’s a lot to learn and I haven’t quit yet so that’s a good sign.  I remember Zachary visiting me at work in Pittsburgh one time saying that all the papers on my desk made him nervous, he said he can’t imagine knowing what to do with all of them. I knew what to do with each piece of paper then. But now I know how he feels. I have so many papers on my desk and I’m so unorganized waiting for my new computer, my new desk and my office supplies.  I’m like a fish outta water. But I hope to look back on this time soon and feel competent again….someday.

I guess that’s it for today.  Hope everyone everywhere is doing well.

oxox

Dear Di,

I had my email up today with an email ready to send you and I never got around to it.  One of the problems is there are all these emails that I have access to.  One of my concerns is that I’m going to use the wrong address – like the blog address – and you’ll respond and it’ll go viral.  That’s an exaggeration…slightly…but still. Mostly I’m so freakin busy that I haven’t had time to check in.  Of course I could call you after work but you know how we are and I haven’t had a huge block of time in-between work and being a slug.  Tonight my cell phone is shut off – I’ll turn it back on tomorrow.  I don’t care too much.  I don’t really get phone calls.  Do you know that the text and every other function still works with wi-fi?  Even if they shut you off?  I have a home phone that I have to have in order to keep the cost of the cable down – maybe I should go back to just a home phone and wi-fi.  I don’t have an actual “phone” to plug in or I’d call you.  Right now it’s just a phone line.  Someday I’ll get a phone.  It’s not high on my priority list.

Speaking of priorities, I make list upon list of things I need like:

• AAA batteries
• Salt
• Candles
• Flashlight
• Spatter screens
• Oven mitts
• Cinnamon
• Spatula
• Mouse pad
• Lamp shade
• Side table
• Phone
• step stool (I have one but it’s not tall enough)
• Toaster
• microwave
• Picture hangars

And on and on…and dressers, and plant stands and outdoor furniture and brackets to put sound bar on the wall.  It’s amazing the little things you pitch and then think to yourself “wtf?  You couldn’t save the spatula?”  And I don’t have one casserole dish of any size.  Not one. And how many mouse pads have I thrown out over the years.  Well anyway, it’s going to take me a year just to get this stuff done and then I’ll be ready to move again.  I have all my storage bins stacked around the room.

And I think I’m just going to leave them there.  I’m going to go through all of them a little bit at a time and see if I can consolidate or pitch but honestly I’m thinking of just stacking them in a way that it would be like a dresser size height, maybe put a board on top and then like some sort of table-cloth or something – that’s something else I threw out – so many tablecloths – well Walmart has fabric, but anyway, maybe just do that – put my jewelry and stuff on top of that and call it a dresser.  I can live out of the baskets on the floor.  I mean really I have the room in there so maybe I’ll just forget the dresser for now and do that.  It’s not like I’ll be entertaining or even inviting anyone over.  Except I did tell Julia, my boss, well one of my bosses, that I’ll ask her over when I get it a little more put together.  It’s cute, I’m not necessarily unhappy with the smallness and actually the bedroom is a nice size but I certainly can’t invite anyone over to watch TV, unless we watch it in bed…and don’t even go there.  I can’t even imagine meeting anyone.  I know you have hope for me there but I. Just. Can’t.

Speaking of having hope for me there did I tell you the Wisteria Lane girls (and Maryann) FaceTimed me last Friday night? (they were also advising on a future BF) Apparently it was Fireball Friday.  I was so happy to hear their voices and see some faces. Even a little teary remembering a time when I actually had a lot of friends.  Speaking of friends I am sooo looking forward to our girls weekend at Siesta Key next month.  I’m feeling a bit guilty taking the time off of work but we have had the weekend planned over a year so I have to.  I mean you’re depending on me right?  I can’t let the girls down.  It’ll be nice to spend some quality time getting caught up with everyone.

Well Di so far it’s going pretty good.  Real good at work. I really like everyone and am hoping that I’ll be helpful to them.  I learned about a new spreadsheet program today, I think it’s called Money Manager – well whatever it’s called I was very excited – love that kind of stuff – so I’m in spreadsheet heaven if I can ever get past calendaring to work on it.  This calendar business is impossible. I will figure it out but seriously I think I’d rather answer the phone again.  And you know how much I like answering phones.  But I like going to work. I like having something to do.  I’d love to walk there but I don’t want to drag all my stuff with me.  Although tonight after work I walked up and back just to see how long it would take me.  I could get there in 15 minutes walking so if I could just take a light tote bag I could do it.  The morning and after work are the best times to walk before it gets hot.  The weather has been perfect – only up to about 80 or low 80’s.  I haven’t even had the AC on this week – I’ve had to use the heater a little bit in the evening but it’ll heat up again soon.  There’s actually fires around and we’re in some sort of state of fire hazard apparently. Someone at work brought this picture that was unbelievable with a fire (smoke) behind his neighborhood.  Just like California.  WTF?

Anyway, this weekend I’m going back to Stephanie’s for Easter – we have Good Friday off so I’ll head over Thursday night I guess.  Jimmy’s birthday is Thursday and it’s killing me not to see him.  I mean really really killing me.. this no kid part is soooo hard.  When I first moved down here I think I saw them every 6 weeks or whenever I wanted – this work /days off restriction makes me want to throw up.  If I could have taken Thursday off I would have been able to come up for $100 round trip on Allegiant.  I LOVE Allegiant.  But I just can’t ask for the day off already – not with taking May off too.  Hopefully I’ll be up for my birthday in June.  This is the hardest part this not seeing the boys.  I HATE it.  But that’s all I hate so far…the rest is not bad…not bad at all.

Alright I guess that’s it for now.  I could go on and on but I think it’s time to veg and watch TV.  I could start putting pictures up on the wall except I need the picture hangars or nails..it’s on the list.  Oh did I tell you I’m watching Grace and Frankie?  I am addicted to that show.  I usually watch it when I get in bed but then I laugh out loud through most of them so not a real good show to fall asleep to.  But that show is hilarious.  Do you watch it?

Okay now that’s it.  I promise I’ll call.  Maybe I’ll call when I’m on my way to Stephanie’s.  The 2 ½ hour trip that takes 5 hours.  Damn Disney tourists.

xoxoxo

I think it’s time for picture day, don’t you?  I’ve been here one full week now.  It feels like a lot longer in some ways – so much so that I need to remind myself that I’ve only been here one week and cut myself some slack for not having furniture or friends yet.  So today, after a guilt-free sleep-in day, after a long first work-week,  I walked up street. I mean how cool that I can walk up street.  Just like Sewickley.  I think I live as close as Di lives to Sewickley, maybe more like Mary Ann – but less than the girls on Wisteria Lane.  Okay that reference will only make sense to 10 of my 20 readers.  Anyway, it’s close.  So here we go.

First stop – the view of the sky from my porch:

Then I came to the first street blocked off for the Delandapolooza and saw this:

I have no clue of the significance of a pony for a band apooloza. Do you?

I know I call myself a writer but I can’t figure out how to start this story about the first band I saw playing.  Let me think.  Okay, there was a band playing as I scooched by the barricades past the pony.  They were good, I can’t think of what style of music.  Maybe like some rock and rollish – I don’t know – but good.  I heard this background singer but I didn’t see the singer so I looked for the drummer and saw this:

Can you see the drummer?  He had to be maybe 8 years old.  Maybe.  He was singing, he was playing the harmonica and he was playing the drums.  I mean he was GOOD!  Unbelievable. I was mesmerized. I added a video at the end of the blog.  You really have to check him out.

The booths were just getting set up.  I almost got in a little trouble when I saw this stand:

Luckily she was not there as I walked past – but as I was leaving the area she stopped me as I was the only one on the street – I know right?  The good news is I didn’t have any money, but the bad news…she gave me her card.  Oh well.  I know I’ll check her out at some point.  I mean since all the other ones have been wrong why not just torture myself some more…

As it turns out there was a fee for attending the palooza thing and I somehow snuck by while they were setting up. I didn’t want to get the stink eye from everyone for sneaking in and I didn’t have the money for the palooza so I left the roped off area and hit the streets.  Kinda sad about missing the music though.

Here’s the town.  It was a happening place today.

I then started checking out all the little antique, shabby chic places.  Ask me how I feel about giving away my two shabby chic dressers that I had for 20 years and now need to pay a small fortune to buy something similar. Go ahead ask me. No, I mean don’t ask. Well anyway I spent a fair amount of time walking around. Look at this antique:

I wandered basically looking for an ice tea and on my way back home I found this great coffee shop:

I’ve decided it is now my go-to place and very very close to my apt.

This is also close to my apartment. Is this one of those signs that I don’t believe in anymore? Maybe I should go to service tomorrow.

I was kinda thinking of a new look for my new beginning.  Do you think I could pull off this look?

After my walk around the town I took a break and sat on the back steps in my little yard to get an idea what I need to do back there.

Then I took a drive to find the closest Ross Dress for Less – I also found a Goodwill store.  I think the Goodwill is more my speed for furniture – I can fix up my own shabby chic dresser.  Ross has some really really cute side pieces though and the perfect outside table with two chairs for under my tree, that I did not buy today.  But I did get a pair of cute shoes.

Then stopped at Publix which I only mention because of the moon. Moon over Publix.

Tomorrow I’ve been invited to a birthday party at my boss’s house.  Look at that, one week in and I’m already on the party list.  Maybe next weekend will be ‘discovering the beach’ weekend.  I miss being 150 steps away but I do have a job…so there is that.

I had a busy work week as we had a meeting to prepare for on Friday.  Nothing like hitting the ground running.  Luckily I did not forget how to do that meeting planning thing.  I also got my desk all cleaned up and I’m ready for week two.

I’m looking forward to seeing what next week brings.  I would say all in all week one has been a successful beginning.

xoxoxo

Little Drummer Boy:

Well?  If you have been following along you know that I have moved BACK to Florida.  However, I am in an entirely different area, where I know no one.  The terrain, the climate, the neighborhood, everything is different….again.  And I’m working!  The fact that I’m working is different but not that different because Lord knows I’ve worked before.  Not only have I worked before but I swear this new job is just my old job at a different location.  The good news is that it is all sooo familiar…the bad news is that I have my work cut out of me, literally I think I’ll be doing the exact same things I did at PPU.  At least it’s very very similar.  Nothing daunting, just a different place and people.  And while many of you won’t believe this and/or will be very surprised…I am soooo happy to be back at work.  While I would LOVE my book to get published (which I will still work on) I just feel like I’m a person again.  Going to work, getting things done (well I WILL get things done) getting up, taking a shower, getting dressed and out the door.  I mean the familiar routine is very very welcoming.  Now ask me again in a week and I may be crying about retirement but that will be here soon enough.  At this age we can see how fast time goes – and it goes so very very fast.  So that’s the work summary.  It’s a beautiful campus, I have my own office again, a really big desk – lol – but I’m keeping the desk and no sofa this time.  It’s all good – oh and get this – you can wear jeans if you really want to.  Like anytime.  But I probably won’t but I “can” if I want to.  How about that?  How will I act?

On the apartment front, I moved in Saturday.  The place was soooo dirty.  But my landlord gave me money to make up for it.  Pretty generous too I thought, until I got to the bathroom and then I thought NO amount of money is worth this – BUT I scrubbed, and scrubbed and it’s coming along rather nicely.  It’s a very old place and there are a lot of holes and great big freaking gaps in doorways to the outside – you know big enough for an armadillo to walk in – so I just pray for the best after I turn the lights off – hoping the bugs and armadillos don’t want to come inside.  The landlord is giving me a new stove and painting the bathroom AND he came over and helped me open a drawer that the movers were convinced got locked somehow but the landlord figured it out.  He’s been great – his girlfriend has also been great helping him decide to give me that nice cleaning credit.  We will get along just fine which is good since they live right next door.  My apartment is small but not really – I have a nice enough kitchen although the cabinets are very high, like too high for me to reach without a step stool, which I have but the step stool is still not high enough –  and it’s pretty much like a weird design, but I’m actually getting everything put away.  Since I am down to no dishes it all fits pretty nicely.  The bedroom is a very nice size and I already have the dining room buffet in there, that I got back and looks great, except for the broken top of course, and there is plenty of room for a couple of dressers. I did get a new bed – thank you to all that helped in that area!  So the bedroom is a nice size with two closets – plenty of room for hanging clothes and the bathroom is pretty good size too with A LOT of storage space.  The only small room is the sitting area – like not a living room space but I have a chair in there and a TV and for now I’m happy as can be.  I will send pictures after I get it looking a little better.  I’m still unpacking and I’m too tired tonight to clean up so maybe by the weekend it’ll be good enough for a couple inside pictures. Here are some outside pictures:

The neighborhood is what I would call really bad.  HA!  Except for the alley way that this house borders on – the neighbors to the right are the kind that you do not want to make eye contact with.  I will definitely never walk after dark and probably not too much ever although tonight I did run to the corner store – like on foot – and walked back pretty bravely.  Maybe I’ll make friends with them but I’m not kidding when I say I don’t make eye contact.  They are scary.  But all around to the left and behind the alley it’s nicer.  The town is one block over so I’m considered right down town.  This weekend they are having a DeLandapoalooza – I am told that it will be very noisy in my apartment.  But check it out – 27 stages and over 100 bands playing all on Saturday.  This is the town I live in now.  Pretty crazy and I’m pretty excited.  I have all kinds of things to learn and places to discover.

Another thing that is super wonderful is that I’m all plugged in again.  I have internet, I have TV, I have wi-fi and so I think I’ll be back to blogging.  New adventures, but I don’t plan on changing the title again.

But now I must veg out in anticipation of another day at work. Apparently I’m supposed to go in EVERY day.  What’s up with that?