Imagine this:
You step out on your doorstep to water your plants on your front step. The morning air is heavy with the leftover rain from the night before. You bend over to evaluate the necessity of the morning watering when the silence is broken by a large RUFF. You look up. Your neighbor from across the street's little sidekick is staring at you from about 50 meters away. He barks again. RUFF. And takes a few steps towards you. You back up onto the stop of your step and open the screen door, fumbling with the nob. Looking over your should you see that the little dog is in a trot now and barking full go. RUFF RUFF RUFF. You make it in the house and shut the door tight, peering out the window until your neighbor calls him back home. Coast is clear. Did I mention that this pooch is a PITBULL?
Welcome to my morning!
Had a pretty good day at work today. Have a ton of meetings and calls this week. But I have a couple of meaty assignments to work on and I'm excited about getting started. It's been almost a month since I've done work, so I have plenty of energy for it.
C'ville is gearing up for their annual 4th of July celebration. Apparently it's a pretty big deal around here with a parade and if the weather holds, a hot air balloon race. I do hope that happens. I think it would be pretty cool to watch. But I'm not sure who actually goes to these things. There seems to be a strong divide between those that work for my company and the locals. It's a relationship that is kept at arms length. I am trying to get an invite from one of my colleagues to go fishing. I don't really want to touch the fish, but I think sitting on a boat by the lake holding a rod is an appropriate way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
I'm also excited about the local farmers market. Every Saturday there is a fresh produce stand over by Walmart where they set up. It's a bit too early to get the good stuff yet, but soon. I do think I'm going to have to drive up to Louisville for turkey sausage as I cannot find it within the city limits. Who knew. I told one of the ladies at work that I was looking for some and she thought I was the strangest thing. She didn't understand why I couldn't just use pork sausage. She didn't believe that I thought the turkey tasted better. Strange yankee girl....
Alas, I'm gonna guess I'm going to be really bored by the end of August.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday funday
After a short hiatus from blogging, I'm back. A few of you have asked how you sign up for the blog. I believe if you scroll all the way down to the very bottom there is a link. It says something like Subscribe to Post or something like that. Maybe? Maybe not.
So did you know that that Northern Kentucky and Southern Indiana is referred to as Kentuckiana? I didn't know that until I was watching the local news and they were talking about a storm in that part of the country. Maybe I'm living under a rock, but I have never heard of that. Anyone? Pretty funny.
C'ville is not a dry town, nor is it wet. It is what they call moist. The only place you can get a drink around here is at a restaurant that serves more than 50 people. I'm not sure if I have mentioned this before or not. Well there are even more rules. Alcohol can only be 25% of a restaurant's profits. I went to happy hour on Friday with a few colleagues and discovered more laws. So as you order your drinks, they require you to order food. So we ordered appetizers as we went and eventually the apps just sat on the table. And then at some point, the waitress cut us off because we stopped eating the food. So we were cut off after about 3 beers. One of the guys from work offered to take me out next weekend to the next town over to experience a real honky tonk bar.
So what else happened last week? Hmmm. It was hot again, really hot. Spent about 4 days crawling around on the floor and in a bunch of meetings. The one thing that I have noticed is that there is always food around. Apparently at peak season they created a room full of food for the managers called the food closet since most of them don't get a chance to run home and eat. Hmmm
Oh - I also learned that fried okra is called the popcorn of the South. Did you know that?
So at least 3 people on my team of 5 asked me how many kids I had - not if I had kids. Apparently most women my age have already been married, mothered, and divorced by the time they are my age. The fact that I have never been married nor have children seem to baffle the minds of the locals. Apparently the single scene consists of the local university and that's about it. Lucky me :)
That's about it for now. It's been a busy work week, so hopefully I will have more time and more stories to share with ya'll next week. Take care!
So did you know that that Northern Kentucky and Southern Indiana is referred to as Kentuckiana? I didn't know that until I was watching the local news and they were talking about a storm in that part of the country. Maybe I'm living under a rock, but I have never heard of that. Anyone? Pretty funny.
C'ville is not a dry town, nor is it wet. It is what they call moist. The only place you can get a drink around here is at a restaurant that serves more than 50 people. I'm not sure if I have mentioned this before or not. Well there are even more rules. Alcohol can only be 25% of a restaurant's profits. I went to happy hour on Friday with a few colleagues and discovered more laws. So as you order your drinks, they require you to order food. So we ordered appetizers as we went and eventually the apps just sat on the table. And then at some point, the waitress cut us off because we stopped eating the food. So we were cut off after about 3 beers. One of the guys from work offered to take me out next weekend to the next town over to experience a real honky tonk bar.
So what else happened last week? Hmmm. It was hot again, really hot. Spent about 4 days crawling around on the floor and in a bunch of meetings. The one thing that I have noticed is that there is always food around. Apparently at peak season they created a room full of food for the managers called the food closet since most of them don't get a chance to run home and eat. Hmmm
Oh - I also learned that fried okra is called the popcorn of the South. Did you know that?
So at least 3 people on my team of 5 asked me how many kids I had - not if I had kids. Apparently most women my age have already been married, mothered, and divorced by the time they are my age. The fact that I have never been married nor have children seem to baffle the minds of the locals. Apparently the single scene consists of the local university and that's about it. Lucky me :)
That's about it for now. It's been a busy work week, so hopefully I will have more time and more stories to share with ya'll next week. Take care!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
What day is it?
Hey ya'll-
Today was a rough day. I woke up this morning and thought, "what the heck am I doing down here?" My feet hurt, I didn't feel that great about my new project I'm co-leading, and I'm pretty sure that I haven't stopped sweating since I got down here. But out of bed I went and started my day.
My goal of the blog is not to vent about work stuff... everyone has issues at work and who am I to take up airtime to drone on about issues that will live on forever as long as man continue to interact with each other. I'm working through all that it means to manage others and be responsible not only for the work but for them. And you know, given my tenure at it (a whopping 7 days under my belt), I think I am doing alright. I need to make my own mistakes and need to learn what my own style is. But the process is frustrating and my challenge is not to show it to the world. Alas, that is where the work work stuff ends.
But there is something worth sharing that I was thinking about as I drove home from work. There is something to be said to the type of person that lives out here in the middle of nowhere, with their hourly job in a warehouse or factory, driving into 'the city' once a month to go to 'the mall', and at the end of the day probably struggles to make ends meet. These are some of the individuals on my team. Their lives so different from my own. Going to college was not an option and maybe not even a desire. And yet they work hard, even in the heat as it spikes high in the 90s and apologize for cutting a piece of tape in the wrong place. They apologize for something so small and so irrelevant to the big picture, but they do it because they want to do the right thing. And at the end of the day, they want to go to the pool or go home, work on their farms if they have it, and be with their family. For me, the simplicity of it all is perplexing. It makes me think of how we have complicated our home and work lives so much and I'm not sure if it is for better or for worse. They are happy, hardworking, kind-hearted people. Shouldn't that be enough?
But I certainly can't end my post on such a solemn note. Here's a funny thing I did - they had a meet and greet luncheon for me with all of the managers - two in fact *am & pm shift. They introduced me and I had the opportunity to say a few words and I ended with "I look forward to working with ya'll". I said it. I can't believe I said it. I don't know where it came from but it just popped out of my mouth and before I knew it there it was. And perhaps the most frightening thing - NO ONE SAID A WORD or even blinked an eye. I think I could have some real fun with this.
Oh and for all ya'll looking to come visit me, after some research I think Southwest is the best way to get to the Louisville airport. HINT HINT :)
There is a car revving... again and again. I think it's my neighbor working on one of his two broken cars. Did I mention I have determined he works nights? Around 3am I wake up every night to a car coming in and out of his driveway. OOOOOH sounds like he got it started. I'm going to go be nosey - it seems the thing to do around here - and look out my window to see what he is doing.
In the meantime, feast your eyes on this beauty that I saw in my work parking lot. HOT!
Today was a rough day. I woke up this morning and thought, "what the heck am I doing down here?" My feet hurt, I didn't feel that great about my new project I'm co-leading, and I'm pretty sure that I haven't stopped sweating since I got down here. But out of bed I went and started my day.
My goal of the blog is not to vent about work stuff... everyone has issues at work and who am I to take up airtime to drone on about issues that will live on forever as long as man continue to interact with each other. I'm working through all that it means to manage others and be responsible not only for the work but for them. And you know, given my tenure at it (a whopping 7 days under my belt), I think I am doing alright. I need to make my own mistakes and need to learn what my own style is. But the process is frustrating and my challenge is not to show it to the world. Alas, that is where the work work stuff ends.
But there is something worth sharing that I was thinking about as I drove home from work. There is something to be said to the type of person that lives out here in the middle of nowhere, with their hourly job in a warehouse or factory, driving into 'the city' once a month to go to 'the mall', and at the end of the day probably struggles to make ends meet. These are some of the individuals on my team. Their lives so different from my own. Going to college was not an option and maybe not even a desire. And yet they work hard, even in the heat as it spikes high in the 90s and apologize for cutting a piece of tape in the wrong place. They apologize for something so small and so irrelevant to the big picture, but they do it because they want to do the right thing. And at the end of the day, they want to go to the pool or go home, work on their farms if they have it, and be with their family. For me, the simplicity of it all is perplexing. It makes me think of how we have complicated our home and work lives so much and I'm not sure if it is for better or for worse. They are happy, hardworking, kind-hearted people. Shouldn't that be enough?
But I certainly can't end my post on such a solemn note. Here's a funny thing I did - they had a meet and greet luncheon for me with all of the managers - two in fact *am & pm shift. They introduced me and I had the opportunity to say a few words and I ended with "I look forward to working with ya'll". I said it. I can't believe I said it. I don't know where it came from but it just popped out of my mouth and before I knew it there it was. And perhaps the most frightening thing - NO ONE SAID A WORD or even blinked an eye. I think I could have some real fun with this.
Oh and for all ya'll looking to come visit me, after some research I think Southwest is the best way to get to the Louisville airport. HINT HINT :)
There is a car revving... again and again. I think it's my neighbor working on one of his two broken cars. Did I mention I have determined he works nights? Around 3am I wake up every night to a car coming in and out of his driveway. OOOOOH sounds like he got it started. I'm going to go be nosey - it seems the thing to do around here - and look out my window to see what he is doing.
In the meantime, feast your eyes on this beauty that I saw in my work parking lot. HOT!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Happy Father's Day!
First - a tribute to all the dads out there - Happy Father's Day. Dads are an important part of a person's life. For me, it's someone who has taught me so much about patience, hard work, sports, and home remodeling. My dad may very well be the calmest person that I know. He would do anything for anyone and has such a kind and gentle way about him. I probably could use a bit more of that. And also a happy father's day to my friends/family who are celebrating their first father's day.
So my first week went by very quickly. Seems strange. I was sitting here on Saturday looking around the house and wondering what the heck I was doing here. I spent the day cleaning the house and hanging up some stuff on the walls. Had a washer and dryer delivered and got that room all squared away. So really I'm done with this place. And thanks GOODNESS - there is not a foot of space left for anything else. I can't even go shopping - there is no room for anything. Which is semi problematic because I may need to buy a few more casual clothes for work. All the suits, black pants, and button downs that I have are no good here. Just cargo capris and a nice tshirt.
I also went back out to the lake today. I packed a book and a bunch of water and sat out in the 93 degree heat. I lasted about an hour and a half and went through a half a bottle of sunscreen (thanks to Meg for turning me into a sunscreen freak!). I got some color, but no burning so I suppose mission accomplished. I did fail at going to church today. I did a workout tape in the morning and lost track of time. There is only one service a day around here and I missed it. There is always next week or maybe I will go sometime during the week. I'm sure I will need to register and perhaps write a check.
Today Joe washed his SUV. He put it into the middle of the road and did it there - I swear it took him two hours. I was tempted to bring mine over and see if he would do it, but I didn't think he would go for it. I do feel like he is always watching because every time I go outside he is there. He's not always doing stuff, but he's just there. I suppose that's good - heaven forbid someone try to break into my mansion and steal my valuables.
Now the guy that lives on the right side of me is still a bit of a mystery. He has two broken cars in his driveway. The hood is always up on the one and neither of them move. Ever. He seems to have friends pick him up and drop him off everyday, but I have not yet figured out what he does. I supposed I could go over there and introduce myself, but part of me really likes being the private Yankee girl who always keeps her blinds closed. He has a little black lab - felt bad for her today out in the heat. But he does go out and play with her almost everyday.
So here's today's shots. The first is of my kids. They have been entertaining and a lot of company over the past couple of weeks. There always seems to be a fly or a moth in the house. In this instance, they were watching a ladybug on the light while I sat in bed reading.
Last thing - I apologize for getting behind on my phone calls. I promise to make some this week. Thanks for all of the kind words and thoughts. I miss ya'll!
So my first week went by very quickly. Seems strange. I was sitting here on Saturday looking around the house and wondering what the heck I was doing here. I spent the day cleaning the house and hanging up some stuff on the walls. Had a washer and dryer delivered and got that room all squared away. So really I'm done with this place. And thanks GOODNESS - there is not a foot of space left for anything else. I can't even go shopping - there is no room for anything. Which is semi problematic because I may need to buy a few more casual clothes for work. All the suits, black pants, and button downs that I have are no good here. Just cargo capris and a nice tshirt.
I also went back out to the lake today. I packed a book and a bunch of water and sat out in the 93 degree heat. I lasted about an hour and a half and went through a half a bottle of sunscreen (thanks to Meg for turning me into a sunscreen freak!). I got some color, but no burning so I suppose mission accomplished. I did fail at going to church today. I did a workout tape in the morning and lost track of time. There is only one service a day around here and I missed it. There is always next week or maybe I will go sometime during the week. I'm sure I will need to register and perhaps write a check.
Today Joe washed his SUV. He put it into the middle of the road and did it there - I swear it took him two hours. I was tempted to bring mine over and see if he would do it, but I didn't think he would go for it. I do feel like he is always watching because every time I go outside he is there. He's not always doing stuff, but he's just there. I suppose that's good - heaven forbid someone try to break into my mansion and steal my valuables.
Now the guy that lives on the right side of me is still a bit of a mystery. He has two broken cars in his driveway. The hood is always up on the one and neither of them move. Ever. He seems to have friends pick him up and drop him off everyday, but I have not yet figured out what he does. I supposed I could go over there and introduce myself, but part of me really likes being the private Yankee girl who always keeps her blinds closed. He has a little black lab - felt bad for her today out in the heat. But he does go out and play with her almost everyday.
So here's today's shots. The first is of my kids. They have been entertaining and a lot of company over the past couple of weeks. There always seems to be a fly or a moth in the house. In this instance, they were watching a ladybug on the light while I sat in bed reading.
The next are of the kitchen cart I spent two hours putting together Friday night and the complete laundry room. The red tubs are Christmas decorations. I wasn't lying when I said I have used every foot of space.
Last thing - I apologize for getting behind on my phone calls. I promise to make some this week. Thanks for all of the kind words and thoughts. I miss ya'll!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Random C'ville occurrances
Just a few strange things about today that I didn't want to lose----
So I went to the post office today to buy stamps to mail some various cards. It's about 6pm. I figure the post office will have some sort of machine that I can use to buy stamps even though it's closed. Wrong. Just store hours and some drop off bins. And this was the MAIN library. Sorry, Dad, your card will be late.
Went to Subway for dinner. I don't mind Subway - it was easy and it got me out of dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow. When I was in college they put a drive in Subway in Mentor and I thought it was the coolest thing. Super high tech. Want to know what Subway in C'ville has? A drive thru Subway. No stamps, but lots of subs. Go figure.
I tried to pick up some sticks in the yard from the storm the other night and saw a strange little bird sitting in the yard. It didn't fly away when I walked right up to it and had some flies on it. I thought it had met its unfortunate fate, but by the time I left and came back from Subway it was gone. Strange.
Speaking of Subway - there was a woman behind me in line who ordered a meatball sub. She put it on the cheddar bread and put monterey jack cheese on it. I thought it was weird, but didn't think much of it. Until she put lettuce, tomato, olives, cucumber, and MAYO on it. Um, gross. Not sure if it was just her or the a local thing..but ewwwww.
And last but not least, I tried to order a part for a refrigerator on Monday. I didn't get a confirmation number, but it hit my card. I assumed that it must be in the mail. Today I tried to call on it to follow up and they had no record of it. The rep said the charges would simply fall of my card. Do we think that's true? Not sure. But I went ahead and ordered another one.
Trash thing went smoothly. I had ordered some shoes online since I'm on the go a lot with the new job. The mailperson must think I live in a not so safe part of town. I found the shoes in my car port buried in between some folding chairs with the lid of the garbage can as a cover. Now I might not be the brightest person around here, but I think my neighborhood is pretty safe. There are six or seven buildings on my street counting my house. Then there is Joe, the church, a hair salon, and a handful of houses. Pretty sure no one is going to steal my shoes.
My official announcement went out at work today. Let's just say my new mgr is quite a character. He included the fact that I don't like marshmallows in it and now every person I run into asks me why I don't like them. Too funny. The whole team is actually pretty amusing. There are nine of us in total, 1 more on the way. Once that person gets here, I'll share an office with one of the other HR managers. But the people are very friendly and willing to help and are always good for a laugh. There is an older woman who LOVES to tell me stories - perhaps I'm the only one who has not heard them - and, of course, I humor her and ask her questions and allow her to ramble on and on with her slow Southern drawl. I'm pretty sure she is going to adopt me soon :)
That's all for now folks. Get ready for my first real weekend in C'ville... and church! The things I do for my future-godbaby.
So I went to the post office today to buy stamps to mail some various cards. It's about 6pm. I figure the post office will have some sort of machine that I can use to buy stamps even though it's closed. Wrong. Just store hours and some drop off bins. And this was the MAIN library. Sorry, Dad, your card will be late.
Went to Subway for dinner. I don't mind Subway - it was easy and it got me out of dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow. When I was in college they put a drive in Subway in Mentor and I thought it was the coolest thing. Super high tech. Want to know what Subway in C'ville has? A drive thru Subway. No stamps, but lots of subs. Go figure.
I tried to pick up some sticks in the yard from the storm the other night and saw a strange little bird sitting in the yard. It didn't fly away when I walked right up to it and had some flies on it. I thought it had met its unfortunate fate, but by the time I left and came back from Subway it was gone. Strange.
Speaking of Subway - there was a woman behind me in line who ordered a meatball sub. She put it on the cheddar bread and put monterey jack cheese on it. I thought it was weird, but didn't think much of it. Until she put lettuce, tomato, olives, cucumber, and MAYO on it. Um, gross. Not sure if it was just her or the a local thing..but ewwwww.
And last but not least, I tried to order a part for a refrigerator on Monday. I didn't get a confirmation number, but it hit my card. I assumed that it must be in the mail. Today I tried to call on it to follow up and they had no record of it. The rep said the charges would simply fall of my card. Do we think that's true? Not sure. But I went ahead and ordered another one.
Trash thing went smoothly. I had ordered some shoes online since I'm on the go a lot with the new job. The mailperson must think I live in a not so safe part of town. I found the shoes in my car port buried in between some folding chairs with the lid of the garbage can as a cover. Now I might not be the brightest person around here, but I think my neighborhood is pretty safe. There are six or seven buildings on my street counting my house. Then there is Joe, the church, a hair salon, and a handful of houses. Pretty sure no one is going to steal my shoes.
My official announcement went out at work today. Let's just say my new mgr is quite a character. He included the fact that I don't like marshmallows in it and now every person I run into asks me why I don't like them. Too funny. The whole team is actually pretty amusing. There are nine of us in total, 1 more on the way. Once that person gets here, I'll share an office with one of the other HR managers. But the people are very friendly and willing to help and are always good for a laugh. There is an older woman who LOVES to tell me stories - perhaps I'm the only one who has not heard them - and, of course, I humor her and ask her questions and allow her to ramble on and on with her slow Southern drawl. I'm pretty sure she is going to adopt me soon :)
That's all for now folks. Get ready for my first real weekend in C'ville... and church! The things I do for my future-godbaby.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Life on the floor
Hey ya'll... sorry, couldn't resist. So for those of you who are new to blogging (like myself), you can sign up for my blog and follow it. I believe this will notify you every time I share a bit of myself with the www. So do it, please. It makes me feel like there is someone actually reading my ramblings. And feel free to comment! So we'll throw some special props to my cousin for being the first one to officially sign up. He's a peach - I heart him mucho.
So my past three days have been on the floor doing straight up manual labor. I thought my feet were going to fall off yesterday and that I had sweat out about 5 lbs. After 10 hours of sleep and a bit of yoga this morning, I'm feeling pretty good today. It's good to get out there and sweat it out a bit and meet people. I actually had a really great time on the floor today. It wasn't nearly as hot as it has been the past few days - did I mention there was no air conditioning?- and I had a nice lunch with my new team. Good deal.
Let's talk about some C'ville fun things. I met the guy from Lowe's wife - she works at my site. She was not what I was expecting but apparently it was a big deal that he met the new HR lady before she did. She is apparently the expert of a particular process and has a reputation throughout the building. Small town. I told my trainer admin that I really liked to cook and would love to have a garden to just pick out of, not actually do the work. She offered to intro me to her son and daughter-in-law. She described them as misplaced hippies. I love them already.
Apparently it stormed so badly last night that there are mini branches down in my yard. Have to make a pile so that they can be burned by my landlord. C'ville has no yard waste pickup and no recycling. It's very difficult for me to not sort my trash. I think I will locate the nearest recycling center this weekend and see if it is feasible to do. I cringe every time someone throws a can or water bottle in the trash. Speaking of - tomorrow is trash day. I'm sure they will love me with my stacks of cardboard boxes and 10 bags of trash that my mom and I lovingly stuffed.
The cats are doing really well. Ironically enough, I think my little Maizy is more comfortable here than back in the Heights. Maybe because it is smaller and all on one floor. Not sure, but she seems more friendly than before. The two chase each other around the circle of the living room to the kitchen, through the office and back into the living room. I was just giving them some dental treats - Mo swallowed them whole. Defeats the purpose, huh?
So that's about all I have for today. I know, kinda boring. But I'm living in a town with population 15,000 - what do you want? :)
So my past three days have been on the floor doing straight up manual labor. I thought my feet were going to fall off yesterday and that I had sweat out about 5 lbs. After 10 hours of sleep and a bit of yoga this morning, I'm feeling pretty good today. It's good to get out there and sweat it out a bit and meet people. I actually had a really great time on the floor today. It wasn't nearly as hot as it has been the past few days - did I mention there was no air conditioning?- and I had a nice lunch with my new team. Good deal.
Let's talk about some C'ville fun things. I met the guy from Lowe's wife - she works at my site. She was not what I was expecting but apparently it was a big deal that he met the new HR lady before she did. She is apparently the expert of a particular process and has a reputation throughout the building. Small town. I told my trainer admin that I really liked to cook and would love to have a garden to just pick out of, not actually do the work. She offered to intro me to her son and daughter-in-law. She described them as misplaced hippies. I love them already.
Apparently it stormed so badly last night that there are mini branches down in my yard. Have to make a pile so that they can be burned by my landlord. C'ville has no yard waste pickup and no recycling. It's very difficult for me to not sort my trash. I think I will locate the nearest recycling center this weekend and see if it is feasible to do. I cringe every time someone throws a can or water bottle in the trash. Speaking of - tomorrow is trash day. I'm sure they will love me with my stacks of cardboard boxes and 10 bags of trash that my mom and I lovingly stuffed.
The cats are doing really well. Ironically enough, I think my little Maizy is more comfortable here than back in the Heights. Maybe because it is smaller and all on one floor. Not sure, but she seems more friendly than before. The two chase each other around the circle of the living room to the kitchen, through the office and back into the living room. I was just giving them some dental treats - Mo swallowed them whole. Defeats the purpose, huh?
So that's about all I have for today. I know, kinda boring. But I'm living in a town with population 15,000 - what do you want? :)
Monday, June 14, 2010
First day of work...
Yesterday was an odd day. Mom and I got up early so that I could take her to the airport for her departure. It took about an hour and twenty minutes to get there and it was actually pretty easy once we figured it out.
My mother is a special lady for putting up with my crabbiness and trying so hard to keep things in my place just the way that I like it. She gets that I can be more than a little particular about certain things and knows why I am the way that I am, after all, I am partly her daughter! If my mom had not been here to help me, I would bet that I would be stressed and unpacking my place through all hours of the night just to get it done. I so appreciate everything that she did for me this past week. And my dad too - he's my on-call AskJeeves. I can send him an email from anything from Consumer Report rankings to my mothers poor movie choice (sorry, ma!) and he always comes back with an answer. My parents are the coolest - be jealous. I'd keep em around even if we weren't related! :)
Today was the day that I've been awaiting... the first day of work. I'm not quite sure how it got to be 5pm, but inside the walls of my new work the time flies. It was just about everything I expected it to be. My next few weeks are all mapped out for me - meetings with various individuals, webinars, videos...the whole 9 yards. It will be challenging and hardwork -- and something to fill my days here in C'ville.
Pair all of that with some 90 degree weather and dense humidity and you've got my day. Only part of my day will be spent at my desk in the AC while the rest is out on the floor with everyone else sweating it out. But I do get to retire to the coolness of my semi-stinky house. It could be much much worse.
So today I found out that many people that I work with do not live in town - some drive up to an hour and a half each way just to get there. I suppose when you are married and have other considerations it is better to live close to civilization. But the people are just so nice out here. A lady at work offered to introduce me to her son and daughter-in-law when I expressed my love for cooking. She described them as hippy farmers. I love them already.
My evening will be spent making a list of all the things I didn't do during the day and thinking about buying a washer/dryer. Aren't you so jealous? I'd be.
I would like to buy a bicycle and take off down one of these country roads. They are nice and flat and some of them don't get too much traffic. If anyone has any knowledge of bicycles and can recommend a good starter bike, please let me know. I'm not looking to spend a fortune, but I would like something to do other than make beer runs to the next county.
I was going to try to take a picture of the rainbow today while I was driving home, but thought it was a safety hazard. But it was just perfect. Driving home after yet another run to Walmart, the thunderstorm had just ended and just over my house was a bold, beautiful half rainbow. While I'm not the most religious person, I certainly do believe in God and believe that there are so many signs each and every day that we miss because we are too busy with our own self-created chaos. I'd like to think that this was one of those signs to reassure me - not sure that I even need it right now (maybe in two weeks) - that I am where I am supposed to be. It's not going to be easy, but nothing worth it ever is.
So we'll wrap up this one with some pictures of my place. There are some pre-unpacking and post-unpacking. Maybe this weekend I will make a video walk thru of my place. I know the suspense must be unnerving, but hang in there. I promise more pics of the locals soon.
These orange flowers are from my grandparents old house. When they moved about 4 years ago my grandma asked me if there was anything in particular that I wanted. I remembered sitting in my grandmas kitchen watching her make dinner or eating a snack of fig newtons or lorna doons and seeing these bright orange flowers hanging in the kitchen. And now it is a part of my kitchen, even all the way down here.
There is a good sized lake about 20 minutes away from my place. It has a small beach area with water blocked off for swimmers and the rest is for boats, jet skis, and houseboats. It's pretty amazing. Will definitely be back there.
And last, but never ever least, is my little Mo man. We were playing on the couch and he broke out what I like to call his crazy-Mo face. He's really quite priceless with his ear tufts and his crossed eyes. The cats have transitioned pretty darn well and are quite a bit of company...sometimes too much. But I love this little guy dearly.
Happy Monday, ya'll!
My mother is a special lady for putting up with my crabbiness and trying so hard to keep things in my place just the way that I like it. She gets that I can be more than a little particular about certain things and knows why I am the way that I am, after all, I am partly her daughter! If my mom had not been here to help me, I would bet that I would be stressed and unpacking my place through all hours of the night just to get it done. I so appreciate everything that she did for me this past week. And my dad too - he's my on-call AskJeeves. I can send him an email from anything from Consumer Report rankings to my mothers poor movie choice (sorry, ma!) and he always comes back with an answer. My parents are the coolest - be jealous. I'd keep em around even if we weren't related! :)
Today was the day that I've been awaiting... the first day of work. I'm not quite sure how it got to be 5pm, but inside the walls of my new work the time flies. It was just about everything I expected it to be. My next few weeks are all mapped out for me - meetings with various individuals, webinars, videos...the whole 9 yards. It will be challenging and hardwork -- and something to fill my days here in C'ville.
Pair all of that with some 90 degree weather and dense humidity and you've got my day. Only part of my day will be spent at my desk in the AC while the rest is out on the floor with everyone else sweating it out. But I do get to retire to the coolness of my semi-stinky house. It could be much much worse.
So today I found out that many people that I work with do not live in town - some drive up to an hour and a half each way just to get there. I suppose when you are married and have other considerations it is better to live close to civilization. But the people are just so nice out here. A lady at work offered to introduce me to her son and daughter-in-law when I expressed my love for cooking. She described them as hippy farmers. I love them already.
My evening will be spent making a list of all the things I didn't do during the day and thinking about buying a washer/dryer. Aren't you so jealous? I'd be.
I would like to buy a bicycle and take off down one of these country roads. They are nice and flat and some of them don't get too much traffic. If anyone has any knowledge of bicycles and can recommend a good starter bike, please let me know. I'm not looking to spend a fortune, but I would like something to do other than make beer runs to the next county.
I was going to try to take a picture of the rainbow today while I was driving home, but thought it was a safety hazard. But it was just perfect. Driving home after yet another run to Walmart, the thunderstorm had just ended and just over my house was a bold, beautiful half rainbow. While I'm not the most religious person, I certainly do believe in God and believe that there are so many signs each and every day that we miss because we are too busy with our own self-created chaos. I'd like to think that this was one of those signs to reassure me - not sure that I even need it right now (maybe in two weeks) - that I am where I am supposed to be. It's not going to be easy, but nothing worth it ever is.
So we'll wrap up this one with some pictures of my place. There are some pre-unpacking and post-unpacking. Maybe this weekend I will make a video walk thru of my place. I know the suspense must be unnerving, but hang in there. I promise more pics of the locals soon.
And last, but never ever least, is my little Mo man. We were playing on the couch and he broke out what I like to call his crazy-Mo face. He's really quite priceless with his ear tufts and his crossed eyes. The cats have transitioned pretty darn well and are quite a bit of company...sometimes too much. But I love this little guy dearly.
Happy Monday, ya'll!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Sun and sniffles
The weather called for thunderstorms all day long today so mama (trying to use the local vernacular) and I did not make many plans. Instead, it was a radiant 91 degrees today and not a drop to fall from the heavens. Who knew.
Unfortunately, I find myself wrestling with a bit of a cold. Not sure if it is from overdoing it on the move or a bug I have picked up. Needless to say, I can be cranky when I am sick, tired, hungry, hot, and any combination of those things. I have a sneaking suspicion that other reason I could be sick is some sort of crazy allergy to my house. It smells like the man who lived here before was a chain smoker and while my landlord repainted and did a nice job of cleaning up, the scent of him lingers. We have wiped everything with vinegar and/or ammonia and have sprinkled/vacuumed baking soda throughout the house and added a few citrus air deodorizers. Cross your fingers that the smell goes away and takes my sniffles and congestion with it. Luckily I have some antibiotics from the travel clinic leftover from my trip to China and have started taking those today. Hopefully I will be 100% by Monday.
We took a drive out to the Green River Lake . It's about a 20 minute drive from here and quite beautiful. There is a small section blocked off for swimmers and the rest is for boats and jet skis. It was just so hot and humid today that I couldn't even think about sitting out there for more than ten minutes.. but maybe that is me just being a sick baby. Needless to say, I will venture out there again. Could be a nice place to pack a lunch and do some reading.
Then we decided we would take each of the major roads out to see where they went. Let me tell you - they go to one of two places. 1) churches. 2) farms. Let me explain. The nice man at Lowe's the other day gave me a brochure of C'ville. On the back of the brochure was a listing of all of the churches within the city, just the city and NOT the county. Guess how many? Come on..just try to guess. Give up? Just about 60 churches. Yes, 60 churches for a town that is barely 15,000. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. This must be the thing to do in C'ville and the only way to meet people. There aren't really any restaurants or places to hang out. No parks, no patios, no put-put courses. Nada. Alas, next Sunday's adventure will be to join the one church that I can. Stay tuned.
Speaking of churches, did I mention there is one right across the street from my house? It's a Seventh Day Adventist Church. There were about five cars there today, but that's about all the action that I've seen over there. There is also another one around the corner by the Subway and one on about every other corner after that to add to the 60+ churches.
If I was home I'd be at the Colony or maybe the Lizard or even Luxe. If I was home we'd go out for drinks after, ones with real alcohol and made for real adults. Maybe even end the night with a drink on my porch or perhaps some dancing. Alas, Dorothy is not in Kansas anymore. We struggled to find a place to eat today and ended up at Pizza Hut. Just seems wrong to go their on a Saturday night. And now we are home and I am putting together my office and probably watching tv later.
My mom leaves to go home tomorrow. Have to drive her to the nearest 'city' so she can take her flight home. She's been such a big help - cleaning and unpacking, making me dinner, and leaving me alone when I am crabby. Will be sad to see her go, but it's time for me to get on with it. I'm sure that I will save money, lose weight, and have time to read all those books I've been buying over the years just because there won't be too much to do other than work. It will truly be an interesting ten months....
Unfortunately, I find myself wrestling with a bit of a cold. Not sure if it is from overdoing it on the move or a bug I have picked up. Needless to say, I can be cranky when I am sick, tired, hungry, hot, and any combination of those things. I have a sneaking suspicion that other reason I could be sick is some sort of crazy allergy to my house. It smells like the man who lived here before was a chain smoker and while my landlord repainted and did a nice job of cleaning up, the scent of him lingers. We have wiped everything with vinegar and/or ammonia and have sprinkled/vacuumed baking soda throughout the house and added a few citrus air deodorizers. Cross your fingers that the smell goes away and takes my sniffles and congestion with it. Luckily I have some antibiotics from the travel clinic leftover from my trip to China and have started taking those today. Hopefully I will be 100% by Monday.
We took a drive out to the Green River Lake . It's about a 20 minute drive from here and quite beautiful. There is a small section blocked off for swimmers and the rest is for boats and jet skis. It was just so hot and humid today that I couldn't even think about sitting out there for more than ten minutes.. but maybe that is me just being a sick baby. Needless to say, I will venture out there again. Could be a nice place to pack a lunch and do some reading.
Then we decided we would take each of the major roads out to see where they went. Let me tell you - they go to one of two places. 1) churches. 2) farms. Let me explain. The nice man at Lowe's the other day gave me a brochure of C'ville. On the back of the brochure was a listing of all of the churches within the city, just the city and NOT the county. Guess how many? Come on..just try to guess. Give up? Just about 60 churches. Yes, 60 churches for a town that is barely 15,000. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. This must be the thing to do in C'ville and the only way to meet people. There aren't really any restaurants or places to hang out. No parks, no patios, no put-put courses. Nada. Alas, next Sunday's adventure will be to join the one church that I can. Stay tuned.
Speaking of churches, did I mention there is one right across the street from my house? It's a Seventh Day Adventist Church. There were about five cars there today, but that's about all the action that I've seen over there. There is also another one around the corner by the Subway and one on about every other corner after that to add to the 60+ churches.
If I was home I'd be at the Colony or maybe the Lizard or even Luxe. If I was home we'd go out for drinks after, ones with real alcohol and made for real adults. Maybe even end the night with a drink on my porch or perhaps some dancing. Alas, Dorothy is not in Kansas anymore. We struggled to find a place to eat today and ended up at Pizza Hut. Just seems wrong to go their on a Saturday night. And now we are home and I am putting together my office and probably watching tv later.
My mom leaves to go home tomorrow. Have to drive her to the nearest 'city' so she can take her flight home. She's been such a big help - cleaning and unpacking, making me dinner, and leaving me alone when I am crabby. Will be sad to see her go, but it's time for me to get on with it. I'm sure that I will save money, lose weight, and have time to read all those books I've been buying over the years just because there won't be too much to do other than work. It will truly be an interesting ten months....
Friday, June 11, 2010
C'ville - I've arrived!
I have been in C'ville for about 2.5 days. Here's a brief summary of what has happened. I will try to update this every other day or so.....
Around 3:30pm on Tuesday afternoon my mother and I arrived in C'ville. After a chaotic, sleepless night and equally chaotic morning, I made the 7.5 hour trek with my mom to my new home. The drive was not too bad, minus some traffic hiccups around a bigger city.
Met my landlord and entered my new home. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by the smell of stale cigarette smoke. Awesome. But other than the stench, the house was clean. I soon realized that the house was missing a room - the 'dining room' was actually the 3rd bedroom in the advertisement. I also realized that I had forgotten to ask about a few essentials - a dishwasher and air conditioning. I made out on the latter - thankfully.
My mother and I have spent two days feverishly unpacking and I'm proud to say that there is not a single box left. Miraculously everything fit - minus the 3 boxes of barware/crystal that will stay boxed for the next move. It's a small house compared to where I was, but it is enough for me.
The days are hot (high 80s) and very, very humid. People keep their air on everyday, all day just to keep the thickness out of the air. It has stormed everyday, including the night we got here. On Tuesday night, we went to blow up the air mattress to find that it no longer worked. So we slept on the carpet with some blankets and sheets and two terrified cats who walked around crying all night. Pair that with a little snoring and a hint of a cold and that was my night. Needless to say there was a nap in my future the next day.
The town itself is SMALL...seems to be the trend around here. There are two main roads in town and the small university separates them. I live right off the one, conveniently located across the street from the grocery store and next to a Subway. Tuesday night seems to be biker night at Subway - the whole parking lot was filled with them. Bikers of all ages. It was the strangest thing.
I should also mention that C'ville is in a dry county. This means that I will need to drive 20 minutes to buy any type of alcohol. The good news is that the bigger restaurants are allowed to sell it. The restaurant scene in general is a little slim - there is a variety of fast food joints including a Sonic and four Mexican restaurants. Not sure why such a little town needs for Mexican restaurants, but it does. We tried the busiest one the other night and really enjoyed it. Their margaritas were a bit toxic, but the food was excellent.
Upon discovering that I did not have a washer or dryer, we headed to Lowe's to price them out. This was my first true encounter with the locals. Met a really nice man who gave me a map of C'ville, circled my place of work and where I was living. Then I met his associate who told us all about washer machines and how great the Whirlpool one was. How she was able to wash off grass stains from her farm and used the sanitize cycle to wash the blankets from her dogs false labor...too much information. Found out way too much about them, but they were very nice and just wanted to help. This is inline with the other locals that I have met - everyone wants to share their story with you. The whole story. The thirty minute story about washer machines. I have determined that you should always have snacks on you in case you run into a local. Bring enough to share - it could take awhile!
I met 1 of my neighbors the other day, Joe. He and his wife live across the street at the end with their giant PITBULL. He claims that his dog is very friendly, but the thing is huge and I wasn't about to take any changes, especially given I was covered in cat hair. I'm sure that I am being overly cautious, but I see no need to befriend this little dog. Pretty sure he would make a snack out of either of my critters should they get out of the house. But let's get back to Joe. Joe was standing in the middle of the street when my moving van arrived. He continued to stand there for the next three hours while the movers did their thing - this was when I went and introduced myself to him. He gave me the lowdown on all my neighbors on the street, including their age and marital status. Later that night, he drove his 4 wheeler down the street and later walked his dog, both times staring as my house as he walked passed. The next day he was chatting with garbage men for about 20 minutes, the four guys standing in the middle of the road STARING at my house. It would have been helpful if one of them would have knocked on the door and actually told me it was garbage day. Lesson learned - be as nosey as your neighbors. It's the only way to find out anything.
T
oday the neighbor across the street had a bonfire to burn his trash. I've seen many many bonfires in my day, but NOTHING like this. It got bigger after I took this photo with my phone through my window. I sent the pic to my dad who responded "Welcome to the country". Nice.
We also
went grocery shopping today. Nothing too extraordinary happened there, except for this find. These were both in the grocery store and the WallyWorld. And it's not like they have a couple jars of them, but it's been a giant display in both places. So at this point, you may be asking yourself what on earth are they. Well, my friends, they are pickled balogna and better than that, they come in a variety of sizes from little mini weeny things to giant sausage-like pieces. YUMM-O!
So here it is Thursday night and it is thunderstorming...again. I can't see the farm past the cornfield across the street. The electricity has flickered and I'm suddenly wishing that I had planted the sunflowers seeds I bought early today. No worries, it will probably rain again tomorrow.
Around 3:30pm on Tuesday afternoon my mother and I arrived in C'ville. After a chaotic, sleepless night and equally chaotic morning, I made the 7.5 hour trek with my mom to my new home. The drive was not too bad, minus some traffic hiccups around a bigger city.
Met my landlord and entered my new home. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by the smell of stale cigarette smoke. Awesome. But other than the stench, the house was clean. I soon realized that the house was missing a room - the 'dining room' was actually the 3rd bedroom in the advertisement. I also realized that I had forgotten to ask about a few essentials - a dishwasher and air conditioning. I made out on the latter - thankfully.
My mother and I have spent two days feverishly unpacking and I'm proud to say that there is not a single box left. Miraculously everything fit - minus the 3 boxes of barware/crystal that will stay boxed for the next move. It's a small house compared to where I was, but it is enough for me.
The days are hot (high 80s) and very, very humid. People keep their air on everyday, all day just to keep the thickness out of the air. It has stormed everyday, including the night we got here. On Tuesday night, we went to blow up the air mattress to find that it no longer worked. So we slept on the carpet with some blankets and sheets and two terrified cats who walked around crying all night. Pair that with a little snoring and a hint of a cold and that was my night. Needless to say there was a nap in my future the next day.
The town itself is SMALL...seems to be the trend around here. There are two main roads in town and the small university separates them. I live right off the one, conveniently located across the street from the grocery store and next to a Subway. Tuesday night seems to be biker night at Subway - the whole parking lot was filled with them. Bikers of all ages. It was the strangest thing.
I should also mention that C'ville is in a dry county. This means that I will need to drive 20 minutes to buy any type of alcohol. The good news is that the bigger restaurants are allowed to sell it. The restaurant scene in general is a little slim - there is a variety of fast food joints including a Sonic and four Mexican restaurants. Not sure why such a little town needs for Mexican restaurants, but it does. We tried the busiest one the other night and really enjoyed it. Their margaritas were a bit toxic, but the food was excellent.
Upon discovering that I did not have a washer or dryer, we headed to Lowe's to price them out. This was my first true encounter with the locals. Met a really nice man who gave me a map of C'ville, circled my place of work and where I was living. Then I met his associate who told us all about washer machines and how great the Whirlpool one was. How she was able to wash off grass stains from her farm and used the sanitize cycle to wash the blankets from her dogs false labor...too much information. Found out way too much about them, but they were very nice and just wanted to help. This is inline with the other locals that I have met - everyone wants to share their story with you. The whole story. The thirty minute story about washer machines. I have determined that you should always have snacks on you in case you run into a local. Bring enough to share - it could take awhile!
I met 1 of my neighbors the other day, Joe. He and his wife live across the street at the end with their giant PITBULL. He claims that his dog is very friendly, but the thing is huge and I wasn't about to take any changes, especially given I was covered in cat hair. I'm sure that I am being overly cautious, but I see no need to befriend this little dog. Pretty sure he would make a snack out of either of my critters should they get out of the house. But let's get back to Joe. Joe was standing in the middle of the street when my moving van arrived. He continued to stand there for the next three hours while the movers did their thing - this was when I went and introduced myself to him. He gave me the lowdown on all my neighbors on the street, including their age and marital status. Later that night, he drove his 4 wheeler down the street and later walked his dog, both times staring as my house as he walked passed. The next day he was chatting with garbage men for about 20 minutes, the four guys standing in the middle of the road STARING at my house. It would have been helpful if one of them would have knocked on the door and actually told me it was garbage day. Lesson learned - be as nosey as your neighbors. It's the only way to find out anything.
T
oday the neighbor across the street had a bonfire to burn his trash. I've seen many many bonfires in my day, but NOTHING like this. It got bigger after I took this photo with my phone through my window. I sent the pic to my dad who responded "Welcome to the country". Nice.We also
went grocery shopping today. Nothing too extraordinary happened there, except for this find. These were both in the grocery store and the WallyWorld. And it's not like they have a couple jars of them, but it's been a giant display in both places. So at this point, you may be asking yourself what on earth are they. Well, my friends, they are pickled balogna and better than that, they come in a variety of sizes from little mini weeny things to giant sausage-like pieces. YUMM-O!So here it is Thursday night and it is thunderstorming...again. I can't see the farm past the cornfield across the street. The electricity has flickered and I'm suddenly wishing that I had planted the sunflowers seeds I bought early today. No worries, it will probably rain again tomorrow.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
T minus 4 days
In four days, the moving van will arrive and take away most of my worldly belongings. One day after that, I head south for my next big adventure. The boxes that decorate every room in my house are a constant reminder this is all very real.
This week I spent some time with an amazing woman, my 87 year old grandmother. We ran errands and talked... a lot. Had an interesting discussion about being an I instead of a We and how that changes everything. She had been a We for more than half a century and her life completely changed just over two years ago. And she, regardless of her age and her frail little body, adapted and has found happiness. If there was ever a doubt that this whole move was a good idea, it was wiped away by this little old lady who tried to convince me that bacon was 'good for me'. This woman is treasure in my life and I will miss her dearly.
My day today will begin with an hour massage and continue with a visit from one of my favorites who just happens to be the mother of my soon-to-be godson. Maybe we will pack, go to a park or grab some coffee. Should be a lovely day until she leaves and the car shopping resumes and maybe some more packing. One word for it - exhausting.
This week I spent some time with an amazing woman, my 87 year old grandmother. We ran errands and talked... a lot. Had an interesting discussion about being an I instead of a We and how that changes everything. She had been a We for more than half a century and her life completely changed just over two years ago. And she, regardless of her age and her frail little body, adapted and has found happiness. If there was ever a doubt that this whole move was a good idea, it was wiped away by this little old lady who tried to convince me that bacon was 'good for me'. This woman is treasure in my life and I will miss her dearly.
My day today will begin with an hour massage and continue with a visit from one of my favorites who just happens to be the mother of my soon-to-be godson. Maybe we will pack, go to a park or grab some coffee. Should be a lovely day until she leaves and the car shopping resumes and maybe some more packing. One word for it - exhausting.
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