Extended holiday

Good news is, I have a flight home. But it isn't until New Year's Eve. I'll miss more work than I really wanted to, but that's how it goes sometimes.
Got to spend a few days up at my Mom's place. That was really nice. I usually have to just breeze in and out, maybe stay one night if I can. This time I got to spend three nights! There were 9 of us for dinner on Xmas day, and we stopped by another uncle's place that evening for a quick visit. Lots of talk and family stories, loads of food...yeah, it was a good holiday.
So right now I'm sitting at a coffeehouse in South Bend, since Fiddler's is only doing dinner for the next few days. I have stuff to do at the old house, and arrangements to make for the next few days as well as for getting home to Abq. There's still a couple of people I want to catch up with while I'm here, too.
Hope y'all had a good holiday!

OY, what a month....

Sorry I haven't updated this blog in a long while. Between the long workdays and commute to match, and worrying about the 'family' up on the mountain, I just haven't had time to do both blogs. Heck, I got a lot more sporadic on the LJ, too.
I'm in Indiana now, for my Yule visit. Tonight's my pub night, and hopefully it'll be a very good time. I don't have plans carved in stone for the rest of my time here, and am trying to stay flexible. I know what I'd like to do, but it depends on a few things like time, money, transportation, etc.
The one thing I'm sorry to miss back in NM right now is Papa Ron's memorial service. He passed on the 15th, and this Saturday, they're having a small service. I wish I could be there. So, the next best thing is to raise a toast while I'm at the pub.
Gotta run, stuff to do!

Slight delay on my internet

...but it was for a good cause. 'Cause I was up at the mountain home for Thanksgiving, and stayed the whole weekend! *grin*
I quit Home Depot. Too much stress, and I need the time to spend with family.
I'm home this weekend, resting up. It's raining. wtf? Then again, if I'd gone to the mountain this weekend, there's a very good chance that I'd *really* get snowed in, and that would not be good for my job. Lots of fun, perhaps, but detrimental to survival in the real world. Rats. ;-)
Cable install is rescheduled for this Sunday, so more and better updates then. TTFN.

I'm moved in!

Granted, there's not a lot of stuff, but I'm in my new apartment. The cable guy comes out next Saturday to hook up the cable/internet/phone service.
The cats are adjusting nicely, and I've got most of the kitchen stuff put away. I just ran out for some groceries, and stopped to snag some wi-fi on the way back. Dinner with friends, then to bed early because I have to be at work at 6:30 a.m. Yeah, the skidmark of dawn....bleah. Guess that's the price I pay for having today off!
Anyway, more updates later. Gotta run!

Homeless no more

I will be moving into my new apartment this coming weekend! Yay!
My work schedule's a bit screwy this week, but I actually have Saturday off!?@?1!! No complaint from me, as that will let me rent a u-haul trailer and do the move in one day.
If you want my new address, contact me privately.
Off to work!

Quick update before work

Ok, so last night I came down to Abq to look at a couple of places. The apartment next to my friend Roslee's is small, but not impossibly so. It does have a nice backyard (can you say yurt?), and I got a good feel from the owners. The one drawback is that it won't be ready till next weekend. Still, it looks good, and I'm filling out the application. The other place I looked at is not in a good neighborhood, which is a shame. It's also crowded onto the lot with another house/unit, and looks rather shabby. Pass on that one, I think. I'm glad I waited till this morning to go see it, because I'm not sure I'd have been comfortable looking at night. Another red flag against that one.
I crashed on a friend's couch last night, so am still in Abq for a bit. I have to be at work in SF in just under 3 hours, though, so will head out soon.
The friends that I stayed with last night suggested that I see if one of our other friends could board the cats while I borrow their couch till the apartment's ready. I may see if the other friend could just put me up, too, but I am shy about asking. Plus, I have to work HD today (2-11 p.m.), tomorrow (9-6) and Monday (6-11 p.m.), so I might as well stay in SF for those days. I am tired of being in the truck, but I think I want to wait and get the kitties into a permanent place instead of confusing them with more temporary places.
The cats have really been troupers, I gotta say. They are getting better at letting me put them back into the crate when I have to, and are really hanging in there. I will be glad to get them stabilized again, as I think their tummies are a bit upset from all the strangeness.
Time to head out. More news as I have it!

An update

Once again, I get a reminder that I am blessed with friends.
This afternoon, one of the gals from the front office at work, who I've gotten to be friends with, came by and offered to spring for a hotel room for me for tonight and tomorrow night. I was so stunned that I almost cried. So here I am, in the EconoLodge, which allows the cats to be inside with me, too. I was fully prepared to be in the truck for these nights, and even did laundry last night so I could be cleaner. I even washed the cat bed, since they are getting a bit aromatic, too.
Friday, I'll be going to Abq to look at an apartment, have dinner with a girlfriend, and go to the ASFS meeting. Hopefully, this apartment will work out for me. I'm still worried about having enough money to get started, since I've got to send a truck payment (overnite, on Friday) to keep from losing it, too. The check I sent hasn't gotten there yet! But if it's meant to be, it'll be, and I've got to let go of the worry. The universe will figure out how to make things happen; my job is to attract what I want to have happen.
So, things are improving slightly. I'm hoping for a big improvement soon!!

Giving myself a treat

After 3 nights in the truck, I decided that I deserved a night in a motel. I am now clean, warm and comfortable, at least for one night. It's 8:30, and I'm in for the night. The kitties are fed and watered, and have the run of the truck for the night. They should be warm enough, and have my blankets and pillows to burrow into. I'm at this little place called the Thunderbird Inn. Talk about an old school motor lodge! This place was here when this was Route 66! Classic adobe style architecture, whitewashed, with pictures painted on portions of the walls. The room is cozy, and the front desk fellow was very courteous.
I have a line on a couple of places to live, but as I said earlier, it'll probably be later this week till I can get into one. I don't work HD again till Thursday, so that gives me time to look around some more.
My horoscope keeps saying that there's good stuff on the way. My friends are pulling for me. I am confident that good things will be happening soon. For tonight, the little pleasures are enough.

Just thinking

Saturday morning, it's just about 9:00. I've been sitting in the cafe with my tea and a croissant, doing my online stuff before I go to work. I have to be there at 11, so there's a bit of time yet. Still need to go check the mailbox, too.
I'm tired and a bit fuzzy, mentally. Have to admit that it's hard to sleep well in the truck. The cats did settle down eventually, thank goodness. I'm considering getting a motel room for a night, maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow night. I just hate to spend the money when I am so close to having enough for an apartment. Then again, if forty bucks makes that big a difference, then I'm better off waiting till this week's payday. I get paid from both jobs this week, and even though the HD check will be very small, it will help.
I think the most frustrating thing is to be so close to being perfectly fine, and just not quite getting there. I don't really need a handout or subsidy, just a bit of time to get things together. I've been through tough times before, and I'll get out again.
So I'm doing a lot of thinking about what I need to do, what I can do, and what I want to do. I do have options, although some of them are not to my liking. There are too many variables to wrap my mind around, sometimes. Plus, I'm torn between my usual need to be active and in control, and the realization that there are things I cannot control. Yeah, I know, what else is new?
Anyway, that's my state of mind right now. I'm trying to stay positive and calm, without lapsing into lethargy. Catch ya later!

A new adventure called homelessness...

Yeah, as of today, I have no place to live. I'm hoping to come up with something soon, but till then, the cats and I will be in the truck, I guess.
I have my stuff safely tucked into a storage unit, and can get free wi-fi at local cafes, so will still be online when I can.
Game plan at this point is to take what money I have, and try to find a place in Albuquerque. I just can't manage anything in Santa Fe right now. The commute from Abq to SF is inconvenient, but not impossible, and there is public transport to make it more affordable. Maybe the job I'm supposed to have is in Abq, anyway? I will look, even though I enjoy my job at the herb factory. Home Depot might transfer, so that's another possibility. I will ask when I go in to work tonight.

I gotta say, the outpouring of supportive messages I've been getting yesterday and today is really helping. I'm still red-eyed from crying in frustration and loneliness, but not as often now. Thank you all. I will post progress reports as I can. The cell phone is working, I just can't answer while I'm at work. Email is always good.

Trying something very new

I have decided to take the plunge, and participate in this year's NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writers Month. The goal is to start on 11/1, and write a novel of 50,000 words or more by midnight on 11/30. The motto is, "no plot? no problem!", and I haven't a clue what to write yet. The main thing is to write, and see where it takes me.
I've written short stories (many NSFW and not to be shared), but never tried to do anything this major. I don't know yet if I'll post it anywhere, and if I do, it'll be after editing. I'm debating whether to do a mystery, fantasy (ok, they all are, but...), or historical novel. I could combine them all, with the way my mind works, and not even be trying to!
I think it's neat that NaNoWriMo is in November. Samhain season! Samhain is a good time to let go of the old and embrace the new. So I'm going to release the fears connected with my creative side, and do something that I wouldn't normally do. Should be interesting, at the very least.
Oh, if you want to know more....www.nanowrimo.org is the main site. You can still sign up till literally the last minute!

A break from Mundania

Ok, if you want to read the full post about my trip to MileHiCon39 this past weekend, just go to http://eiricmacbean.livejournal.com/ I'm too tired to write it twice!
I'm looking for a cheaper place to live and hopefully will have enough money before I lose this place.
Otherwise, life goes on, with work and cats and the usual stuff.
Better post later, after I catch up on sleep!

No news is not good news

Well, I'm still waiting on a miracle. Got a nasty note today that the manager had been in with the pest control people and thought I had no litter box for the cats. Bitch. It smells bad because I had to feed them the cheap-ass food and it upset their tummies.
So I looked through the classifieds to try and find another place to live. Biggest obstacles are lack of deposit money, and having the cats.
Saw a great place listed....too bad it's about 1 1/2 hours away, beyond Taos...
My lottery tickets didn't hit, of course. Thought they should have done something!

At this point, I'm going to enjoy my upcoming weekend at MileHiCon, then see about getting a storage place and finding new digs once I get back. I give up. Well, not entirely. But I don't see another solution.
I've got an email out to a friend in my Abq network, asking her to pass it on and see if anyone is in the market for a roomie w/cats for a while. I could manage to commute that far for a short while, till I can save up for another place of my own. I don't want to cancel the cable till the last minute, since that's my internet, too, but if I have to, I will.
It's so hard to get the energy to clean house and take care of things, sometimes. And there's often not time to do a lot, either. Depression sucks.

Crunch time...and I can't see a way out.

I just got told yesterday that I need to have $750 minimum by Monday or I will probably lose my apartment. I can't catch up fast enough, and I honestly don't know what to do. Even if I gave them my entire paycheck for the next 3 months, it's too slow. I don't want to give up my jobs that I just got. I don't have any friends in town that I can move in with. There's no help agency that can step in, since I am working and it's more money than they have. Getting a new place is not a valid option, because I'd need even more than $750 for a deposit.
At this point, I'm wondering if I should just put what little I have into storage and try my luck in Denver when I go up this next weekend. Yeah, I'm still going. I need this trip more than ever now.
If it weren't for the cats, I'd be able to live in the truck. I can't go to the folks, because Papa is very allergic to cats. And I don't want to put the kitties in a shelter!
I've got nothing of value to sell on eBay, either, so that idea won't fly. Going back to Indiana won't help, there's no future there for me anymore. Working more hours won't help, I can't get paid in time.
I don't expect anyone to bail me out. My family hasn't got money like that, nor do my friends. Just pray for me, or whatever you do to send energy. I just don't know what to do anymore.

Catching up at last!

Sorry to be away for so long, but it couldn't be helped. I'm online and wireless at home again, now, so that helps a lot.
First off, work. I'm doing okay at work, and learning quite a bit. This week I got moved over to formulation, on the production side of the facility. I've been blending extracts, percolating herb to make extracts and formulas, and learning all the procedures that go with that. All the alcohol we use (pharmaceutical grade, 190 proof) has to be carefully logged. Alcohol and water are precisely measured in proportion to the herbs. Percolating is letting the liquid drip very slowly through the herb mix, which has been moistened a bit to make sure it doesn't expand too fast and crack the glass percolator funnel. The funnels are custom blown glass, and very expensive! There's also lots of cleaning to do, and other tasks. I'm not doing much of the packaging or labeling yet, but that's fine by me. I've got enough to learn!
Home Depot is starting to get easier. Mondays are the worst, since I'm really whipped by the end of the day. I wish I didn't have to give up my weekends, but there's no other option right now. I am starting to get better at knowing where things are, what they are, and how they work. I'm in Plumbing, but also have to know Kitchen & Bath, and since Hardware and Electrical are right by us, I end up needing to know a bit of them, too. Whew!!! Being on the floor as an associate is definitely different from being a cashier.

Secondly, fun and social life. I am starting to get a life, y'know! I just got elected "Alternator" for ASFA (Abq. Science Fiction Assn.). Basically, I run the meetings if the Moderator can't make it. That doesn't happen often. Kinda neat, getting elected to something when I wasn't even eligible to vote yet... We also played a neat game at the meeting. It doesn't really have a name yet, but it involved pulling pieces of paper out of a bowl and trying to get people to guess what's on the paper. The papers were names of authors, characters, people, etc. First round, whatever clues you want to give. Second round, two words only for clues. Third round, charades. You use the same answers for each round, so memory helps! It was a lot of fun, even though my team didn't win.
Last night, Wednesday, was the Weird Al Yankovic concert that I had won tickets to. My friend Rozlee, from ASFA, went with me. She's a big Tathata fan, too, and is friends with Dave the harpist. Told ya, it's a small planet out here!! Anyway, we met up for dinner at Turtle Mountain Brewing Co. Very good beer and decent fish 'n' chips. The concert totally rocked, and Al didn't do "Albuquerque" till the sixth encore! The fifth was a song he cooked up about Rio Rancho, which is where the venue actually is. Too funny. Just amazing talent and humor all night long, and we had a blast.
Next on my social agenda is MileHiCon, of course, and I am really looking forward to that for many reasons! I plan to have a very good time. More on that later.
For now, I'll be working as much as possible, trying to catch up and get out of the hole I'm in. I've got two months till Yule, and while I'm not sure how I'm going to get my stuff back out here, I know that I *will* be going back to Indiana for a good visit. Beyond that, I'm not going to worry too much.

Long day, but back online!

Long day, because I worked both jobs today. 17 hour days suck, and I am sore and tired.
Back online, because I finally got fed up and got Comcast internet again while it's on sale.
Gotta get to bed, but I will update more tomorrow. G'night!

Net's off, sorry

Couldn't pay the bill in time, so the internet's out at my place. Sorry. I'll try to get it back on as soon as I can.

Stressed

The stress has really been getting to me this week. My temper has been short, I've been clumsier than normal, and I've been horribly depressed. I don't think I can blame it all on that time of the month, either. I know it's bad when even the cats get on my last nerve.
Part of it is the financial stress, I know. I got paid this week, but I just can't see how I'm going to be able to get out of this huge hole I'm in. I'm worried that I won't be able to get caught up in a timely fashion. There are too many new and unfamiliar things to work through, and it makes me nervous. I know in my head that it'll work out, but that doesn't make it any easier. I hate not being able to see where I'm going!
I do have my cellphone back on, at least. Internet's okay, too, obviously.
Anyway, I don't want to bring anyone else down, but if you've got any good energy to spare, I could sure use it. The loneliness is the worst part. Even my new friends out here are only casual acquaintances, and none of them are in town. And sometimes, talking on the internet or the phone just isn't enough. Not that I'd turn down an email or the like, especially from a few certain people.
Oh, well, don't worry about me. I'll get through this. I have before. I just don't like it.

Busy week!

Sorry for the delay in updating. I've been trying to work as much as possible, and I've been pretty tired most evenings. I did make it to Abq for the Gofer Pizza Party last Saturday, and that was a nice break from routine.
Work is going fine at the herb factory. This is a busy season, especially with winter coming on. Add in the inventory we had to do on Friday (which had to be checked today - more delays) and we were swamped today! It's more physically demanding than you might think. Sure, we're picking and shipping little bottles of extracts and blends, and bottles of softgels. But they really add up to a fair amount of weight, a few ounces at a time. Plus, I'm reaching, crouching, twisting, lifting and standing for most of the day. Tossing those boxes to the UPS guy is a workout, too.
Home Depot's still not up to speed yet, as I'm doing my web-based training and working on getting a workable schedule.
I'm surprised that I'm still online, as I think my phone's cut off. Cell phone's been out for over a week now. Cable's acting funny, but I'm not sure if it's the bill or the box that's to blame. I hate being in the hole again, but I know I can get out again. Just hope I can do it in time.
Anyway, I'm trying to economize as much as I can. Which means I'll probably cut back the cable to just basic, the A/C's been off for weeks, and the heat's not coming on till I absolutely can't stand it anymore. The mornings are chilly, but not horribly cold yet. I have some warm clothes with me, so I can always put a sweatshirt on.
Other than that, there's not much going on. Hopefully, I'll have better news soon.

Getting used to the routine

Three days of work down, and I think I'm getting less achy now. I'm doing a fair amount of lifting, bending, crouching and the like, and while it doesn't usually hurt while I'm doing it all, once I stop I get stiff and sore. I finally have been getting some sleep, and that helps a lot. Now if I can just settle my dreams down a bit...
I'm still rather stressed over my finances, of course. My cell phone's off since I couldn't pay the bill, the rent's going to be very late, and I don't want to think about my student loans, cable tv and phone/internet. I'm explaining the situation to them all, but that doesn't mean they will be nice about it. I'll get a tiny check on Friday, and then I should start seeing money next week from the full-time gig. If I can just keep my energy levels up and work my ass off, I should be able to catch up eventually. Eventually.
I won't deny that I'm still very frustrated. I really wanted a different lifestyle out here, not working my ass off just to catch up and keep up. I am going to try my best to get involved socially and have a life outside of work. I'm making friends, which is a great help, even though they're in Abq and Denver. When I've got some money, I'll be able to go out to some local places here, too.
Time to get cleaned up for bed. More when I get a chance.

Can I rest a bit now?

Seriously, I'm tired!!
Got a call Friday evening from Home Depot....Orientation is this weekend, be in Abq tomorrow morning at 8. Uhh, okay....
So my weekend got very busy, very fast. Saturday was also a friend's birthday party, and I ended up being able to stay over at her place that night to save gasoline. Of course, since the party crew was all our friends from the con...we were up way too late talking! Sunday, more orientation, then the Con-Com meeting. That's short for Convention Committee, the people that actually run Bubonicon. After the meeting, some of us went to dinner (thanks, Dante!) and so I got home about 10 p.m. Too tired to do much more than open a can of food for the cats, and head for bed.

Today was my first day at Herbs, Etc. (www.herbsetc.com) I'll be in shipping on Mondays and Tuesdays at least, and then in production on the other days. We had some really big orders to process today, and I was picking product most of the day. Sure got my exercise! The people at work are nice, and I enjoy it. We can have a radio on, which really is nice after the silence of the Woodwind.
So there ya go, a quick catch up. Now if I can just come up with enough energy to make myself some dinner, I'll be all set!

Work at last!

Yep, I gots me a job!
I start Monday, temp-to-hire, at a place called Herbs, Etc. I'll be doing shipping and production, and the company makes herbal and homeopathic remedies. I'm a potionmaker! lol
Got the job through a contact at the job fair today. Got several other good leads, too, but first come, first serve.
It's not as much money as I'd have hoped, but it's a decent enough wage. I can get by on that if I combine it with the other things I'm trying to do. I'll still be on a tight budget for a while, but that's a darn sight better than no budget at all!

My toothache is a bit better today. Still swollen and tender, but not the harsh pain of yesterday. It should be over in another day or two. My appetite's back, so that means the fever is gone. I made bean burritos tonight, yum. I'm not sure if I'm still hungry or not, so I'm waiting a bit before I have anything else.

Glimmers of hope

Wow, I actually had a couple of job interviews today! This morning I talked to a catering company (cook/driver position), and this afternoon a costume shop (seamstress position). I also am to call the library tomorrow! Yay!
My toothache is still hurting, but I've got a few ways to cope with it now, so should be better soon. I find that having something else to focus on helps, too. I even made it out to the library to pick up my interlibrary loan books.
I'm probably going to call it an early night tonight. I didn't sleep well last night, and am really feeling wiped out from the pain. There's a big job fair tomorrow, and I need to be in good shape to go to that.

Ouch

Toothaches suck. I know it's just a minor infection and swelling from getting a piece of popcorn husk stuck, but it hurts, dammit! I've got some liquid anesthetic stuff, but it doesn't get to the place where the pressure hurts. It's pretty much killed my appetite for today, which is okay because I can't chew on that side right now. Therefore, in order to at least get some nutrition into my system, I'm drinking a Guinness. Liquid Bread, gotta love it. Hopefully it will help me sleep tonight, as well.
The rest of today was pretty routine. I did take my bike in to get the tire fixed, so that'll help me get out of the apartment more often. In order to get out for a bit today, I sat at my favorite cafe for a while to work on job apps and read the want ads. A bit of a scenery change, at least. I do have some more places to go tomorrow, so maybe I'll have good news soon.
I can definitely tell that the seasons are changing. The days are shorter and cooler, and the rain doesn't come as often. It's good weather for walking or biking, too. I'll keep from using the truck as much as possible, not only to conserve gasoline, but also for the exercise.
It's getting harder to stay positive, and the physical pain right now isn't helping. Looking forward to my trips helps, but I still don't quite know how I'm going to manage them. Just gotta trust that it'll all work out right.

Taking the plunge.

I finally did it. I went down and got my NM driver's license. If that doesn't convince everyone that I'm here for the duration, I guess nothing will. I'll get my license plates and registration in a few weeks, when they get my title info from Indiana. By then I darn well better be working!!
Found more jobs to apply for, and I'm working on the forms for those. I hate filling out applications, but it's got to be done, especially when going after governmental jobs. But that's where the money seems to be, so that's where I'm going.
After all the running around, I came back home to re-organize myself. Sometimes I just need to think about other things, too. Watched another episode of The Dresden Files. I am really liking this show! Did some more planning and thinking about MileHiCon next month. It's gonna be fun, I'm sure. Of course, I'm thinking ahead to my Yule trip, too! Even when I'm broke, I can scout out things that would make good gifts for my friends.
Guess I'd better get back to paperwork.

Geeking out

I am a happy little geekgrrl today. Someone on one of my email lists posted a link to a fantastic website. http://tv-links.co.uk This place has tv shows, movies, anime, music videos and documentaries from all over the world, and many timeframes. I got to watch Adam-12, the Banana Splits, The Dresden Files, Babylon 5, and there's simply tons of stuff on here! Most of it's in DivX format, so can be saved to your PC. Tomorrow, I'm gonna watch The Lone Gunmen, Animaniacs and who knows what else. What started it all was a link to a BBC show on Wild Foods.
Other than that, it was a nice lazy Sunday. I did go to Goodwill, but only got a couple of little necessary items. I did some laundry, but still need to do the dishes up. I did work on some online job applications and the like. Tomorrow I've got a couple of places to go to in person, and a couple of phone calls to make. It'll go a lot faster without having to walk everywhere.
I didn't sleep very well last night. I know part of that was from having a caffeinated soda. I've been away from the stuff so long, that it really got to me. I won't make that mistake tonight! I have enough trouble getting my mind to slow down without the added caffeine!

WTF, Notre Dame??

I think this is the one thing that could make me glad *not* to be in South Bend these days. It's bad enough that the Irish are making noises that Mr. Oreck and Mr. Hoover would envy, but the thought of being around all those drunken, disappointed Alumni and wannabe-alumni fills me with dread. Seriously, there's nothing worse than a bunch of angry middle-aged men in bad plaid pants bemoaning their team's loss, except maybe the same bunch of guys gloating over a victory. I truly feel for anyone who's working at any of the bars or restaurants in the area.
Some improvement in my life today. Got a bit of money, so now there's gas in the truck and food in the pantry and fridge. Yay. My cats are much happier now that they have gooshyfood and a clean catbox!
I went up to the mall to check the postbox today, and it was also the big scooter giveaway day. No, I didn't win the scooter, but that's okay. I don't know where I'd park it, and it's...pink. Ew. I'd have had to repaint it! I did win one of the smaller door prizes, though, and it'll be a nice Yule gift for someone.
While I was hanging out at the mall, I got to talking with the radio station people. Once a DJ, always a DJ, y'know? Well, the first fellow I talked to looks at me, and asked my name. I told him, and he said, I thought so! I went to school with your brother Frank! Holy Crap!!! I didn't really recognize him, since he was about a foot and a half shorter back then...but once I got his name, I did remember him. Talk about a small planet! Of course, I had to call Frank and Mom and tell them I'd run into Todd. Pretty cool. Out of a town of maybe 2000 people, I run into one clear out here in Santa Fe.
After the mall, I went grocery shopping. Stocked up on staples, mainly, and of course cat necessities. A few cleaning supplies, too, that I've been lacking. Tried to stick to sale and discounted items, but it still adds up too fast. I should be okay for another month now, though, with the exception of getting fresh perishable items. I tried to stay away from processed and convenience food, too.
I'm debating whether or not to treat myself to a dinner out or take-out. I would like to get out and about, but am still hesitant to spend the money. I'm not really hungry yet, so I'll think about it. Luckily, it's Saturday, so things will be open late enough if I do decide to get pizza or sushi or the like.
I finished the book "A Pagan's Nightmare". It was interesting, and the end did leave room for a sequel. A nice light read for a rainy afternoon or a day at the beach/park. Finished all my books, really, so Monday will be a library day. Now that I can drive again, I'll combine that trip with a couple of job application stops. No sense wasting gas!
It felt a bit odd to drive again, after not doing so for so long. I will probably continue to walk when I can. I am certainly going to get my bike tire fixed. There's a local bike shop that'll do it for a very reasonable rate, and with it being the rear wheel, I'd rather have someone with the proper tools take care of it this time. The whole bike needs some adjustment, too, so if I take it in, it can all get done at the same time.
Guess that's all for now!

Friday...whoop-de-doo.

A diverse day today.
Started off by waiting for the Comcast guy to stop by. My cable box has been acting up, not letting me scroll all the menus. He tried many things to get it to work, but eventually had to swap out the box. The new one works fine. Stormy was being quite friendly to him, and even Ghost came out to have a look at what was going on. Frankly, I think they just wanted to make sure we could still get Animal Planet. ;-)
I spent the morning fighting my scanner, and never could get the thing to install. So I finished off an inked version of my entry for the SF 400th anniversary logo by hand. Still wish I could have done it with the computer, but at least I did it. After the cable guy left, I loaded the backpack and walked up to the Plaza to turn in my entry. BTW, I checked the mileage, and it's about 3 miles one-way.
On the way there, I found the unemployment office. I had time after dropping off my entry to stop by on the way back. I got registered to look for work, and now have 3 more places to apply to. One's online, one's not too far from here, and the third is out on the edge of town. I also found a voicemail from Wells Fargo when I got home, but it was too late to call back tonight. I will call back on Monday for that one. Didn't get a chance to call Home Depot, either, so that's on the list, too.
Didn't get to go down to Albuquerque for the ASFA meeting, darn it. That's Abq. Science Fiction Assn. , the folks who put on Bubonicon among other things. Good people. Hopefully I'll have gas money by next weekend so I can go to one of the gals' birthday party.
A nice note, I was checking my bank statement from my TCU account in IN, and I've earned a rebate on my check card. It won't get deposited till 10/31, unfortunately, but it's there. Not a lot of money of course, but it'll be a bit of spare cash when I make my Yule trip.
I've been looking at tickets for that trip, and I am very close to having earned enough miles for a ticket on American! That will be a great help for getting me there! I'm certain I can earn the rest of the miles I need in time to book my trip. Still haven't decided whether it'd be easier to fly into Chicago or Indy, but I'm leaning toward Chicago, simply because I know I can catch the South Shore and use public transport to get to it if I need to. Familiarity is nice, sometimes, and might be less stressful. Of course, Indy does have its....attractions..... *evil grin* Oh, well, I've got time to figure it all out.
I guess it boils down to my reluctance to impose on any of my friends. I know, they'd say it wasn't imposing on them, but sometimes my independence and self-sufficiency is all I have. If I don't depend on someone else, then they can't let me down. Anything that goes wrong is either my fault or my responsibility to take care of, and nobody gets hurt or inconvenienced but me.
Maybe that's why this stretch of unemployment is getting me down so much. I've temporarily lost my self-sufficiency. I can manage, of course, but it's the non-material things that I'm really feeling the lack of. And it's frustrating to realize how much I need the social contact that I'm accustomed to. It felt so good to get some friendly hugs at the con a few weeks ago. Gods, I really miss hugs. When I get a chance to make up for what I've missed, it may take a while!
I'm going to bed before I get maudlin. G'night.

Rough day

Don't know why, exactly, but today I just couldn't get out of the mental funk I was in. I slept late, didn't feel like doing anything, and just generally moped. I hate when I do that! It was a real effort to do anything constructive, and I kept hitting snags when I did. Argh.
Oddly enough, things did seem to improve this evening. I got a call from the fellow from Marriage Makers, and that was good. Again, it's not going to be immediate income, but I think it'll be something good to build on.
I've been chatting online with one of my dear "sisters". She's been checking on me nearly every day, bless her. She's a long way from home, too, so we keep each other from getting too homesick.
Then, I got chatting with another SCA pal of mine, and he called to talk on the phone. Poor lad just had to bury his grandma, and he needed an ear. We gabbed for almost 45 minutes!
I did manage to make myself a late dinner, and of course the cats had to check it out. I guess they like bean and cheese quesadillas. Ghost was quite intrigued by the salsa. Come to think of it, she used to live in a Hispanic household, so maybe she really does like the stuff! Hope I can get the kitties some gooshyfood soon. I wouldn't want to be on a kibble-only diet!
I've been catching up on some reading, too. Tonight I started a book called "A Pagan's Nightmare" by Ray Blackston. Interesting bit of speculative fiction. Basic premise is a "reverse rapture" - all but a handful of non-evangelicals have suddenly disappeared. The 'Zealots' have changed everything; song lyrics, fast food, etc. They are hunting down the remaining 'Unfortunate ones'. Oddly enough, the book has some rather comic moments, especially since the parallel plot is what happens to the agent who's trying to marked the book you're reading... I'm only halfway through, so I don't know how it ends! Read it yourself!
Other books lately are "Sex with Kings" and "Sex with the Queen", a pair of historical non-fiction books about the infidelities of royalty through the centuries. Mostly European, from medieval to modern. Very well written, and not tawdry at all.
I'm also working my way through a book called "Listen to the Drum: Blackwolf Shares His Medicine" by Blackwolf Jones. Interesting, but definitely a participation book. Not sure yet if it's going to be a good fit for me, but it's worth looking into.
Other than that, no developments. I'm gonna have to call Home Depot if I don't hear from them soon. I'm still trying to figure out how to get some immediate income. I'd really like to be able to go to the ASFA meeting tomorrow night, but unless I can come up with some gas money, it's not going to happen. Wish me luck!

Midweek

Wow, Wednesday already. Half the week gone.
I haven't been idle, but it's getting hard to keep track of the days. I am trying to make sure that I get outside as much as possible. My calves are aching from all the walking I've been doing!!
Yesterday I actually used some of my precious gasoline fumes to go up to one of the local food banks and get some much needed supplies. The fresh produce was really welcome; a large quarter-head of cabbage, a couple of big onions, two red bell peppers, some apples and pears, and a couple of pounds of fingerling potatoes. Some canned veggies, a loaf of spelt bread (!), and some roasted tomatoes, too. Add that stuff to the rice and pasta I had, and my other carbs, and I'm good to go! Wish I could have gotten some butter, though.
Today's walk took me up to Walgreens, as they were running a free inkjet cartridge refill day. Got my color cartridge refilled. I've burned an MP3 disk for my little player with some of my favorite energy music on it. I call it my "walkabout disc". The only drawback is that the disc lasts longer than my last set of cheap batteries...
I got a form from the IN unemployment office on Monday. Wouldn't have been so bad, except the darn thing said it had to be in the next day!!! It took over a week for it to even get to me! So I called the office, and of course the gal whose name is on the form is out for the week. Called the generic number, and they said I could fax it in. Great...where am I going to find a place to fax this that won't charge me?? I thought about it, and decided to try my bank. So, Tuesday morning, I go to the bank, and a very helpful gal not only faxed my form for me, but she also gave me her name as a referral for their job website. They have openings for tellers, and personal bankers (they train, and it pays more). So there's another job possibility!
Still waiting to hear on my other possibilities. Till then, I'll try to enjoy the free time as much as possible. I haven't gone to any of the Fiesta activities, honestly, since most things cost money. Plus, most things are just too far for me to walk to.
I'm still making plans in my head for going to MileHiCon in late October, and of course for Yule. I know I'll be okay by then, and I do need something to look forward to.
Hope to have good news soon!

Rainy Sunday

Well, I didn't get out much today. I had thought about walking uptown, but the rain was a bit too much for me. So I stayed in and did some cleaning, played with the cats, and chatted online to some friends.
I think that if someone asked me how I was doing, I'd have to say that "I haven't hit bottom yet, but I can see it from here." Hope the bungee cord kicks in soon! I'm sure it will, just don't know when. My last dollar went towards getting a bag of cheap kibble so the kitties have something to eat. I still have food for myself, luckily. If the Asians can survive on rice, then so can I. I'm thinking of making a batch of pancakes tomorrow, since the mix only needs water. Yum.
Found a neat money-earner today, though, so I'm working on getting that started up. It's with a company called Marriage Makers, and they do weddings and other ceremonies for people. Non/Pan-denominational, they call themselves. With the clergy training I've gotten through Live Oak, this is right up my alley! The website is www.marriagemakers.net, if you want to look it up. This is something I can do in addition to a day job, and have a lot of fun doing.
I'm still waiting to hear back from Avon, but that's another thing I can do in addition to a day job.
Home Depot should have my drug test results sometime this week, and then they can get me into orientation by next weekend, I hope. And of course, I'm still waiting to hear back about the library job.
So, really, things are looking up. It's just the immediate cash flow (and serious lack thereof) that have me a bit stressed. I still have hopes for fixing that, but it's out of my hands at the moment. My biggest worry is losing my phone/internet service. Granted, I can always get wi-fi at a cafe, but having a local phone number is a good thing when one is looking for work. Plus, I've been using the email address that came with the DSL for my work search, so I can keep things sorted.
If I do get the gas money, I think I will take a couple of days soon and run up to see the folks. When Papa mentions installing gutters, and 'could use help' in the same sentence, I get nervous. Papa is in his late 70s, and recently diagnosed with diabetes. I don't like the thought of him being up a ladder, especially since his feet are a bit wobbly lately. Besides, if I go up, I can show them that I'm okay.
I picked up a couple of books last week, in the dime bin. The Mother Earth News Almanac, 1973 edition, and How To Stay Alive In The Woods by Bradford Angier, 1984 edition of a 1956-62 book. Angier is apparently Canadian, judging by his geography, but he includes information good for desert climates, too. Good reading, both of them, and excellent additions to my library.
If you're in need of a good laugh, or some serious cuteness, may I recommend www.icanhascheezburger.com ? Lots of lolcats, funny captioned pics of critters, and general 'awwww..." factor. It sure helps me smile when I need it!

Crash recovery

I swear, if I get a desktop PC again, I'm going back to Linux.
I got majorly virused this week. And of course, all my discs and stuff are out of date. Worst part is, I was trying to update the virus program at the time... Long story short, I had to take my laptop to the shop. I know, I'm supposed to be the help desk, geek grrl, etc. Well, there's only so much I can do without the proper tools. But I'm finally back up and running. Thank heavens!
Let's catch up a bit. I'm still not working, but should be in at Home Depot by next weekend. Not the greatest, but it's work, full-time, and they are cool with me dropping back to part-time when I get the job I really want. Still waiting to hear back from the library, but since it's a City job, I know there's a lot of red tape to get through for that.
I'm still getting encouragement from my friends, and that has really helped this week. When I was offline, I even got some phone calls. Very cool.
I've been doing a lot of walking this week. The patch kit I got for my bike tire doesn't help, because I can't get the bloomin' tyre off!! I know it's a tube tire, but it's like it's glued in or something. And of course it's the rear tire, and I don't have a way to take the wheel off..... So I walk. It's not too bad, really, as the weather is nice. Most everything I'd need is within walking distance, luckily. I think I have just enough gas to get to the gas station eventually, so I'm saving it till then.
I think I figured out why I felt so woozy on Sunday at the museum. I should have realized that I was PMSing! Takes it right out of me, that time does, and since I've been out of meds for it, I forgot it was coming! Duhhh! I'm okay now, just waiting for it all to end. Maybe it's a good thing not to ride bike this week?
Been having interesting dreams this week. I think I've actually slept better this last couple of weeks than I was for a while. Maybe it's the change in stress level? I thought I'd be more stressed now. Maybe I am, and my body is trying to make up for it with sleep? Hard to say. Either way, I'm not telling you what I've been dreaming! I might incriminate myself! LOL

Worn out!

I made it to the museum today. The bike ride and walk must have taken more out of me than I thought, because I kept getting light-headed at the museum and eventually had to sit down for about 15 minutes with my bottle of water, a food bar, and a cold paper towel on my neck. After that I was fine, but toward the end of my visit, I started getting cold! Too strange! Made it home alright, but didn't feel like doing much of anything for the rest of the day.
The Museum of Fine Art is surprisingly small to me. True, both sculpture gardens are closed while work is being done, so maybe it's bigger when everything is open. I did go ahead and spend the $5 to go through the 'Excavating Egypt' exhibit. It was worth it. Some very nice pieces, both large and small, and well presented. There was also information on how the excavations were done, and the historical context of the discoveries as well as of the artifacts. It was funny to me that I actually recognized a few of the displayed pieces from books I'd read! I didn't take any sketches, though, since the lighting was dim and I was still feeling a bit wonky.
I'm sure glad I made it home when I did - it started raining buckets about half an hour later! I curled up with my laptop and did some writing, then made myself some dinner. I'm still not sure whether it was my blood pressure or my blood sugar that crashed earlier, but I made sure to drink plenty of water and eat something tonight.
I think I'll go to bed a bit early, too. Tomorrow's pretty much a 'nothing-to-do' day, so it's a good time to clean house and try to organize my stuff a bit more.

Lazy day

It's Saturday. A holiday weekend, to boot. Whoop-de-do.
On the bright side, I do have some Boca Burgers, even if I can't exactly grill them!

Spent part of the morning working on an art project. Santa Fe is celebrating its 400th birthday this year and next. The actual date's a bit fuzzy, but as near as we can tell... ;-) There's a contest for the logo for the celebrations. Deadline is Sept. 15th, and I'm working up the idea that popped into my head. It can't hurt to enter the contest, and that $2000 prize is mighty attractive!
I'm also getting some more ideas of how to make my art more unique for the art show at MileHiCon. No, I'm not going to spill the beans yet.
I've also got some writing I may do. Right now, it's just fragments, though.

Stopped by the local Home Depot. Their HR guy is out till Tuesday, so I'll go back then and see about getting work there. Had fun poking around their garden section, seeing what plants are there, and getting IDs on some I'd seen growing in medians.
Also stopped up at the mall, and put in an app at the cooking/fancy food store. Hey, I watch Food Network, I can sell this stuff!
Tomorrow and Monday are pretty much going to be washouts for job hunting, so I'll use that time to research more places to apply to. Thank goodness for online papers! Saves me a buck that I don't have, at least.

Speaking of cheap/free... On Sundays the Museum of Fine Arts is free to NM residents. They just opened an exhibit on the Egyptian excavations of Wm. Flinders Petrie! I'm hoping that's included in the free admission, because I really want to see it. If not, there's still the rest of the museum. I can bike up there and have a nice afternoon. Might take the sketchbook and see what I can do, too.

Just an update

Today I worked with the Unemployment Benefits people in two states. NM can't do anything at all, since my employment here doesn't show up in their records yet. So I managed to get hold of IN. This week will count as my "wait week", so it'll be at least another week and a half before I see anything from them, if it even gets approved. So that's all I can do on that.
I turned in my application to the city, for the library job. I gave them as much info as I could, and I hope it's enough to at least get the interview. Once I'm in the interview, I should be fine. Again, waiting time kicks in, especially since there's a holiday Monday and all offices are closed.
I'm having a harder time keeping myself positive. I don't know if it's the holiday, the skewed diet (conserving what I've got), being off the moon-time meds or just plain being alone, but add that to the rest, and it's getting tough.
I know that if it weren't for being able to keep in touch with my friends online, I'd be in far worse shape. Having my cats here helps, too, even when they squabble. If this apartment were any emptier, I'd be in trouble.
I'm trying to use The Secret, but I admit it's difficult right now. Gotta keep trying, though, because I know it works.
That's all for now.

Working on working

I've been putting out resumes and applications this week. There's a great job at the Public Library that I'd love to get, but the city application is huge! I'm having trouble remembering what jobs I worked when! I've got the dates for when I worked at the bookmobile, at least, and that's the most important one other than the most recent stuff.
Wish me luck on this job, it'd be nice to get back into library work again.

Not much else happening, really. I've got rent and as many bills paid as I could, and now I'm flat broke. I did manage to get my futon put together yesterday, and it's nice to have a couch to sit on while I work on stuff. Next step, a table or desk.
I did pick up a few inexpensive art supplies, so I can start some projects. If I get some done, I'll enter them in the art show for MileHiCon. I've gotten a flatbed scanner from FreeCycle, too, so that will help with my "art career".

I do have groceries, so tonight's dinner is Teriyaki Tofu over rice. Not quite how I wanted it to turn out, but tasty. I'm still learning to cook some of the dishes I like, but as long as my experiments turn out edible, I'm content. Practice will help, I'm sure. It's also hard to cook for just myself!

I've also been keeping my spirits up by looking at my options for going back to IN at Yuletide. A flight with one or two stops is quite affordable, but I'll wait and book when I have the rest of the logistics figured out, like whether to fly into Indy or Chicago. Either way has good things to recommend it!

So that's where things are for now. Boring, I'm sure, but sometimes boring is a nice change of pace.

Back to cold reality

*sigh* The con is over. What a weekend! I really needed it, and hope to be able to go to MileHiCon in Denver around Samhain.
After a wonderful dinner last night, and the drive home, I got a good night's sleep so I could face the day. I hate job hunting. Don't know anyone who really likes it, but it's hard to me.
I got a fair number of applications put in online, and sent my newly tweaked resume where I could. The biggest obstacles seem to be my lack of current paperwork (transcripts, NM driver's license, any useful certifications)and not quite having enough experience in the right things, like certain computer programs or positions of import.
The other thing that seems to trip me up is choosing what to put on my resume. I've had so many jobs that are so varied, it gets difficult to show a coherent skill set. That, and maybe I just still don't know what I want to be when I grow up....
I've got plenty of possibilities, it just takes time to pursue them. I'll keep y'all posted!

Fun at Bubonicon 39

Thanks everybody who's sympathizing with my job loss. I'm feeling a bit more capable of survival now that I'm getting through the initial shock.

I was really busy at the con yesterday, and didn't even get a chance to get online at all! I've helped out in con suite, at registration, in the art show....all sorts of stuff. Plus, last night was the costume contest. Lots of good entries in the contest, including Batman, The Joker, a group from Trigun (anime)and a Svengali-type with his "Living Dead Girl". She was cute, about 9 years old, and got best kid's costume. There were actually two of us doing different interpretations of Dolores Umbridge. But when the cat-herders were telling us that it was expected to play with the judges and bribe/cajole them....well, telling me to ham it up is just unleashing forces they may wish they hadn't! LOL
So my turn comes up, and I didn't get halfway down the aisle when people started booing the character. The MC was reading what I wrote on the intro card, and had to stop a couple of times, even. So I went down the line of judges, asking each a question like Umbridge did when interviewing the Hogwarts teachers...they're laughing, I'm trying not to laugh. Got to the GoH (guest of honor) of the con, and just dismissed him with a 'you won't even be here next year...' Just had fun doing it.
Now, keep in mind, I'm used to Chicago area cons, where there's a really butt-kicking Costumer's Guild. I am nowhere near that level yet, especially without all my resources here. So imagine my surprise...I won BEST OF SHOW!!!!! Wow! I guess acting can make up for costume shortcomings. The costume wasn't that bad, really, I'm just that picky. Pics will be forthcoming when I get them.
Funny note from later that night...I had changed back into my work/party clothes, and was sitting in con suite chatting. A couple of other folks, including the aforementioned GoH who'd been judging, and I were talking about the contest. The GoH recognized me out of costume, but the others didn't! That really made my night.
I stayed up till about 2 a.m. hanging out with some new friends, and then got some sleep.
I'm very thankful that I got to attend this con. Great people, and some much needed R&R. Did some networking, enjoyed some panels and parties, and helped out where I could. I think I may see about getting more involved for next year's con.
Today's the last day, of course, a few more panels, the other auction, and the dead dog party at the end of it all. I think I'm awake enough to head for con suite and get some breakfast, so catch you later!

Gods, this is hard to write...

To say that today has been a bad day would be the height of understatement.
I can't soften this blow.
I lost my job.
You heard me, I got fired.
Never saw it coming. I've been busting my ass for two months, trying to build a shop where there was none, working on crap instruments, and trying to do everything with nothing. And today, out of the blue.... I understand the term "poleaxed" now.

So, since I was planning on gofering at Bubonicon 39 this weekend, that's where I am. On the plus side, I get the whole weekend off. I hope that keeping busy will help me cope and get through the initial shock.

What now? I don't know. I mean, I know I've got to find work, and soon, but I can't think any more specifically than that right now. I know I have skills, and can find a job, but how good a job? The cost of living out here still scares me.
I have enough to pay this next month's rent, and most of the bills. I don't know if I can qualify for unemployment.
The hardest part is telling all my friends. This was supposed to be a dream job, a real opportunity to finally succeed in my chosen field. Maybe I just need to face the idea that I chose the wrong field. But if that's so, what the hell is the right field? I can't count on making a living from any of my half-assed creative endeavors...even in a town like Santa Fe.
This was supposed to be the time when everything turned out right. So what the hell went wrong? Did I not believe hard enough? Did I trust the universe too much? Is it because I can't feel joy strongly enough? What lesson did I flunk this time? Why do the clue by fours have to hurt so much when they hit?
If this is supposed to be clearing the way for better things, I sure hope it becomes apparent soon. I don't know how much more of this I can take without losing my mind.

Hippo Birdie Two Meece

Yeeha. I'm 42. I suppose I should make sure to pack my towel, now that I've reached the age of "life, the universe and everything"....thank you, Douglas Adams! *grin*

It's been a pretty laid back day. Gotta tell ya what my kid brother did, though. He and his lady wife sent me a package for my birthday. The card addressed to me in the box said that they hadn't been able to pick a card, so they just sent a bunch for me to pick from. He wasn't kidding! There are over 50 vintage cards, all occasions, most unused, in the box! He also threw in two sizes of micrometers (very handy), a wooden foot massage roller, a brass treble clef paperweight, a pack of candy, a set of "spy-ears" (didn't quite survive the trip intact, but fixable), and a Champion model Swiss Army knife. I feel so MacGyver now! I had to laugh at all the cards, but they are older than I am, and some are quite cute. Oh, and the real card did have a $20 bill in it, folded into a shirt shape. *shakes head* I have got to come up with something equally odd for him one of these days, but he's hard to beat in the joke department. Honest! If you think I'm quick-witted and funny, you gotta meet him...people can tell he's my brother, that's for sure.
I've gotten more online comments and messages, too, and that's awfully nice. Haven't heard from some folks I'd like to hear from, but I'm not really surprised at that. It's no big deal. I have come to realize that, just because it's my birthday, the world does not completely revolve around me. Damned disheartening to a Leo, but that's the way it is. ;-)
I got a Freecycle futon today for the living room. Easier to deal with than a couch. It needs a touch of repair, some of the wooden slats are falling out and need nailed/glued. The mattress is in good shape, with a washable cover. It'll be nice once I get it all put back together again. Ghost kitty is already comfy on the mattress.
Now if I can just get the outgoing email to work consistently. I don't know why it's acting up, but it's frustrating. So, if I owe you an email, I'm trying!!!

End of a wild week

Whew. What a week.
At work, I had to finish off all the rest of the school-owned horns. They are not in good shape at all, and I was really busting my hump to get them into playing condition. I think my bosses have a much better appreciation of repair work now, though. I've gone from surgical precision on flutes to sheer brute force on low brass, all in the same day!
Last weekend was the national flute show, in ABQ this year. I didn't get to go, and I'm glad I stayed behind to work on the horns. I couldn't have spared the time anyway! Then, Monday and Tuesday, I went in for the flute repair workshop we were hosting. Good info, and a nice refresher course for me. Again, the boss appreciates my work a bit more now, I think. Hated to lose my days off, though.
To make up for the extra time I've been putting in, I have this coming Saturday off! Yay! I'm going to go to ABQ for Bubonicon 39, a sci-fi convention. I'll be one of the volunteer helpers, or gofers. I met some of the other people working with the con on Friday night at the gofer meeting. Good people, and I'm glad I found some like-minded geeks to play with! I can only go down for Friday night (after work) and Saturday, since I need to work Sunday, but I'm glad to have that much! It's gonna be my birthday present to myself, I think.

Oh, yeah, birthday. Mine's Tuesday, thanks for noticing. ;-) Don't expect much to happen, since my friends are all miles away. I'm already getting notes online, though, and that's really nice. My brother did call and get my address so he could send me something, too. Good kid. Mom and Uncle Bob may send a card, too. Other than that, well, it's kinda hard to party hearty by myself. No pity party, though. I'm not falling into that trap anymore!

So, tomorrow's a laundry and house cleaning & organization day. Can't organize too much without furniture, but I can at least try to put things out of sight. Cleaning is an ongoing thing, of course. The cats make sure of that! And on the off chance that I miraculously have company, the house will be ready for them.
That's all for now! ttyl!

Warning: Venting Ahead

You've been warned.
This wasn't supposed to be such a crappy day! Really! I was all happy, looking forward to getting my cable tv hooked up, and spending some time getting the apartment spruced up. So what happened? My phone's out again, no dial tone. My internet was out, too, but now it's on again. I don't know for how long, though. And the cable dude was over 3 hours late, made me late for a training session at work, and then drove off without doing the install! What a jerk!
The training session at work was mostly useless today, stuff I already know. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Frankly, I hate the idea of giving up part of my days off, but since there's not much I can do here at home, I might as well go in, right?
I'm just so stressed and frustrated that I could scream! I have spent more time talking to tech support in the last 7 days than I have in the last 7 years!!! Argh!

One bright note. I found out last night that Mother Grove (my fave band) is going to be playing at Fiddler's Hearth in South Bend (my fave pub) on 12/21, Yule night! I am saving my money so I can go and have a nice Yule vacation. Something to look forward to, for sure!

Anyway, here I sit, on the floor. Can't watch TV, don't want to go to bed, nowhere to go, and I'm out of books to read. Must be Monday?

I did go out and watch the meteor shower last night. Drove about 10 miles outside of town, and sat on the truck hood for about an hour or so. I didn't think to take a blanket, so it was a bit chilly. I stayed as long as I could, and did get to see and wish on many shooting stars. It was really beautiful. Would have been a good night to camp out with someone special and watch the stars all night. Maybe next year.

More later when I'm feeling better. I don't want to inflict all my negativity on my readers!

Good news, bad news, good news.....

Good news: I have my truck back, and I can really tell the difference in how she handles.
Bad news: The bill came to $1051.78. Not as bad as it could have been, but ouch.
Good news: My paycheck was enough to cover that, since commissions were in this one.
Bad news: There's not enough left for the rest of the bills. I think I can make the truck payment, but that's all.
Good news: I have gas in the tank and food in the cupboard. It should be enough to get me through the next 2 weeks. If the gas runs too low, I know that I can bike to work.

That's a pretty good summary, I think.
Seriously, I was very thankful that I had enough in this paycheck to get my truck fixed. It really needed to be done. As for getting through the next couple of weeks/months, well, I'll take that as it comes. It'll be tight, but I think I can make it.
This does change some of my plans a bit, though. I was going to go to Bubonicon 39, the local Sci-fi con in ABQ. My registration is already paid, but I can't afford the hotel now. Sleeping in the truck is still an option, as is driving home each night (not ideal, by any means!), and maybe I can find crash space in the gopher hole if they have one. I'm planning to volunteer and help out, so that might lead to a place to crash. All this depends on whether I can get time off, of course, but I can at least go down for Saturday night's costume ball. We'll see. I've got a couple of weeks till then.
Another plan that may be affected is my trip back to Indiana to get my stuff. Renting that truck to get back here is not going to be cheap, nor is flying to Indiana. Other variables in that paradigm are the possibility of a training seminar in Indy (the store might help with costs there), and what else I can accomplish while back in the Midwest. I sure would love to catch a concert or two!
Furnishing the apartment is on hold, of course, though I am scouring Craigslist and Freecycle for freebies! There's even a column in the Sunday paper for freecycling type stuff. Pretty cool.
That's about all I can think of for now. I'm settling into a bit of a routine, trying to make this apartment feel like home. Now, if I can just get the cats to settle down and let me sleep at night, I'll be doing fine! ;-)

At long last, Internet!!

I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Mercury was retrograde. I checked. It isn't. Sure feels like it, though. I'll try not to whine.

I'm in my apartment now, have been since Monday. They've fixed most of the little problems I found, so that's cool. I have one piece of "furniture" - a queensize airbed to sleep on. It's double height, so not bad at all.
My truck went into the shop yesterday morning. The transfer case is messed up, and I'm looking at a bill of at least 800 bucks. So much for this paycheck. No furniture for me for a while, it seems. Truck's gotta be fixed, though. Hopefully, the bill will be on the lower side of the estimate. Anyway, I'm riding my bike to work. Ouch. My legs are fine, but I forgot that I have no padding between my bones and the bike seat. And, ladies, this is *not* the week to be riding a bike, if you catch my drift. Very ouch.

I was supposed to get my modem on Tuesday. I didn't. I called to have them change the address and deliver it to work yesterday. They didn't get the change made. Finally got the modem today. Last night, though, I was trying to get onto dialup. Beat my head on the wall for over an hour, then finally realized that the buzz on the phone line wasn't the dial tone...my phone was out. Spent 45 minutes on hold and finally got to a repair tech. They came out and fixed the phone today, something was wrong with the outside lines, not my apartment.
So I'm setting up the modem, at long last, and had to call tech support. Sheesh, I never have to do that! Got that fixed, then started on the wireless router. More problems. Fixed those myself before I could get thru to tech support on that. Argh.

Work's been plagued by techno-trouble, too, it seems. Missed pickups and late deliveries, instruments that defy my best efforts to fix them, cranky customers, all sorts of weird stuff.
I think the frustrating part of all of this is that none of it is expected. I can't find a concrete reason for the rough week, and I really thought things were going well before this. Weird.

But, things will be better now. I am online in my apartment at last, sitting in bed typing away. Now, if I could just get to my email...ND's acting up again! Sheesh!
Maybe it's time to call it a night....

Weekend? What's that?

Technically, my "weekend" is Monday and Tuesday. But, Friday thru Sunday this weekend is New Mexico's "Tax Holiday". That means no sales tax on stuff that could conceivably be used for back-to-school. Musical instruments qualify, as do computers, clothes, furniture, and darn near anything I need. So, in the few hours that I'm not working, I'm going to be shopping for stuff for the apartment. This should be hectic, but fun. Already today, sales were up at the music store, so hopefully I'll be able to pull off a few sales to earn more commission on, too.

This morning, I got the keys to my new apartment and signed the rest of the papers. It feels good, and helped put me in a better mood than I've managed for the last couple of days. One thing that had me in a bad mood was that Juan, a fellow at work who also does house maintenance things for the bosses, was to take out the trash Wednesday. Not usually a problem. This time, however, he threw out stuff that was not anywhere near where he was supposed to be cleaning...including my carefully saved boxes and manuals for the TV, microwave, etc. and my moving boxes! I was *so* pissed!!! I got off lightly, though, because he also tossed some valuable antique toys and the collar for the Honda convertible - those were worth thousands! No chance of getting any of it back, either, since the landfill dumps the drop-off trailer every hour. Everyone was in a foul mood yesterday, I gotta tell ya.
Today was much better, though not without a few frustrations. Chem-cleaning tubas is hard work! *grin*
Tonight after work, I went to the new place and smudged it all over, every door or drawer got opened and smudged, too. Salt in the corners, and then a few prayers to bless the place. It feels like home a bit more now. When I get my stuff in, and the cats, it should take shape nicely. I feel like I've got a blank canvas to play with. I have a few of my decorative items with me, the rest are in Indiana for a while yet, but I can think of things I don't own yet that would look cool. I don't know if I'll ever have a unified style throughout, and I don't really care. I like to pull together things that have meaning to me, and if the only thing they have in common is that I like them, then so be it. Come to think of it, a lot of my friends are like that...I honestly don't know if they'd ever meet or be friends without that common bond. Not being egotistical, really, just another example of the magic of the web of life.
Time to head up the hill and start getting a load packed up to drop at the apartment tomorrow. It will be nice to have internet at home (Tuesday sometime) and not have to go out to find wi-fi. Not to say that I won't go out once in a while, but having the choice is much better. Things are definitely looking up.

Hairy Hat Has a Home! Hooray!!

At long last, I've found a place that feels right. Surprisingly, it's an apartment in town, not a house. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, nice size, good kitchen. It'll do just fine. I've already arranged for phone/internet and cable tv. Gotta have the essentials, y'know?
I'll get my key this Friday, and move in over the weekend and my days off next week. Phone/net service will be active on Monday, cable the Monday following. Gotta find a good time to do the proper move-in rituals, too.
It's on the third floor (ouch!) but that's actually good for catching the breezes and staying cool without relying on the a/c as much. The corners in the stairs and hall are wide enough that moving things in shouldn't be too much of a problem. Sure would be nice if I could get a couple of strong guys to help with furniture when I get any! Might have to import a couple, huh? ;-)
I am very relieved to have found a good place. I was really beginning to worry and stress on it. For those who know me personally, you'll know how to get my address and phone number. The rest of you....who are you, anyway?? LOL
So now I get to pack my stuff back up and explain to the cats that it's just a short trip, not a three-day marathon. Then comes the fun of furniture shopping for the essentials, and figuring out where to put things, and.... Actually, the first step is to email the important people and groups and let them know where I am! That may take a while....
And of course, I'll have to figure out when I can get back to IN to get the rest of my stuff! Rather important, that, now that I have a place to put it!
I guess I'd better get busy on the emails. I will post pics of the new place when I get a chance. Thanks for all the energy and support, folks!!!

First look at possible house

Went out to Cerrillos to look at the ten-acre property. I only looked from the outside, as there's still not an arrangement with the soon-to-be-former tenant to get a look inside. The land is nice, not really much level ground, but room to walk about, put up a yurt once in a while and have a bit of yard space. The view is really nice, low hills in the foreground and higher ones blending into the mountains further out. It's only about 100 yards off the paved road, but sits in a little hollow, so it's quite private. I like it, and have told the landlady so. There's one other person in front of me, so I have to wait for him to see it, but I have a damn good chance of getting this one.
After my look around, I went into the village proper. Very tiny place, mostly tourist stuff, since the town is still pretty much in historical condition. Found the trading post and had a nice chat with the proprietress. The post is full of wonderful crystals and other things, and decently priced. They also have a small museum of the mining era in that part of the world. The local turquoise is a lovely aqua-greenish shade, and still is mined today. Incidentally, the movie "Young Guns" was filmed in the town!
Off to Madrid for a bit of late lunch. (It's pronounced MADD-rid, btw.) The movie Road Dogs was filmed there, and the locals are right...the town is nothing like the movie! Nice place, lots of eclectic galleries, shops and such. Spotted a couple places I will have to check out later. Madrid's the closest grocery store, too, so I'll be there off and on, I'm sure.
Back into Santa Fe for tea and internet, but had to stop at the newest library branch. Very nice, brand new, and more like what I'm used to. Checked out 4 books, then bought 2 at the Friends of the Library Bookstore on the way out. That should hold me for a week, right? I mean, it only took four hours to read Harry Potter, so I've got time for more!
Reading also helps me keep from worrying about the house thing. I am still in waiting mode (though Mercury gets out of his own shadow today, I think, and that should speed things up) and need to keep busy enough that I don't sabotage my own positive thinking. Face it, even with satellite, I can only watch so much TV...

You may also start seeing ads on my blog soon. I have signed up for Google AdSense, so click an ad if you can!
That's it for now! I'll keep y'all posted!

Magical monday?

Went to see Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix today. Even a matinee is $6.75! It was worth it, though, as the theater was free of screaming children ;-) I really enjoyed the movie. They did a good job on this one, and the combat scenes were really good. I also picked up my copy of HP7 this past Saturday, and yeah, I read it all the way through that night. I laughed, I cried, it was a very satisfactory ending. No spoilers here, kids, read it yourself!! LOL
On the house front, I have gotten my deposit back from the 5 br trailer, no problem. I had a feeling that was not the right place for me. I've heard back from the lady with the 3br trailer on 10 acres in Los Cerrillos. She is waiting to hear back from the current tenant on arrangements to show me the place. I'm glad she's keeping in touch with me, and told her I'm definitely still interested in the place. I'm still scoping out the ads every day, just in case.
I'm starting to get anxious to be in a place of my own soon. I know I'll need to come up with furniture, since even when I go back to Indiana for my stuff there will be things I need. A real bed, not just my futon (which will go in the guest room, I think), furnishings for the 2nd bedroom if needed, maybe curtains and such. I'll know more once I see and get my new place. Things other than furniture, I have most of what I need. But I know I need to get chairs, a couch and beds here. Thank heavens for yard sales and Goodwill! I've also been told of a couple of stores that have decently priced but still stylish furnishings. Lucky for me that my usual decorating style is "eclectic shabby chic with pagan overtones"! Gods, it'll be nice to be able to set up a permanent altar again!
It will also be nice to have a bedroom that I can shut the cats out of. I love the little beggars dearly, but their squabbling is not conducive to restful sleep. I have had bouts of insomnia and poor sleep patterns ever since I can remember, and don't need the added disruptions. I'm doing better, but still not feeling as rested as I'd like. I think getting into my own space will help, especially as I'll be able to fix the Feng Shui and other influences to my own liking. It's hard to feel comfortable doing one's usual rituals in a borrowed space.
So that's where I'm at right now. Waiting for pieces to fall into place. Familiar feeling, ain't it? That's ok by me - better right than rushed!!

Still house hunting

The search continues. I have calls in to several places, and am trying to arrange to see places.
Found a great one this morning on, of all things, craigslist.com! Very good price, 2 br, 1.5 bath, mobile home on 10, yes, ten acres. There's a tiny 3rd bedroom that is more of an office, so she doesn't list it as a bedroom. Decent location, and hopefully the adaptations needed for rural life will deter others who are interested in it. I have talked to the landlady, nice gal, and frankly, what she calls 'drawbacks' to the place are 'features' to me! I grew up with propane, no problem. Water from a gravity feed tank, no problem (she told me the price for a fill-up - cheap!). It's internet capable, maybe even DSL. There's a current tenant (bit of a tale, there) so Lisa the landlady has to arrange showings with that lady. Should hear back this weekend so I can go look at the place. It's in Los Cerrillos, south of town. Fingers crossed!
Another place that I got a callback on is up in San Pedro, south of Espanola. Major drawback is that it's a duplex. Got a funny vibe from the landlord, and he's the one who'd be in the other half. Plusses are garden area, horses, and a greenhouse. Don't think I can get past the odd vibe, though, so I think I'll have to pass on that.
I am determined to get a good place and not settle for whatever comes along. I still have time, and am going to be relaxed and calm about this. (Have I convinced myself yet? Well, almost!)
Time to head out from the cafe and see what else I can find on a Friday night. With work tomorrow, it won't be too much or too late, anyway. I do have a DVD to watch at home, too.
Hasta luego!

Loki loves me, this I know....

...My flat tire told me so!
So I got up this morning, and set off for my appointment with a bank loan person. As I'm getting ready to turn from the exit ramp to the street I need...I got a flat. Big time. Toasted tire by the time I limped it the last 500 feet to the bank from the intersection. *sigh* Figured "oh, well, fix it when I come out", and went in for my meeting.
Upshot of the meeting is that I'm within about a year or so of being able to buy a house. Not bad, really. Just a couple things to clear up on the old credit report (both of which I swear I paid, but my receipts are in South Bend) and keep up with my car payments, credit cards, etc. Overall, rather a good report. Just means I'll be definitely renting for a year or so.
Left the bank, and headed for my truck so I can change my tire. Oh, Loki likes it when I dress up, too...I have on a white tank top and a long skirt today. Figures, right? Well, there was a young fellow from the landscaping crew who'd been waiting for me to come out so that he could help me! The crew was waiting on some gravel and he was free at the time. Bless his heart, he got it all taken care of, and I barely got my hands dirty! I offered him some money so he could get a cold drink, but he refused it. I thanked him very much, and was very thankful to the universe for sending me a helper!
Went up to Discount Tire, so I could get a new tire and put the spare back underneath the truck. It doesn't have the pretty rim, and well, I wanted the right rim on the truck. Silly, but I don't care. While I waited, I walked across the street to a used book store and an herb shop that I'd been wanting to check out. Herbs, Etc. is great! They have everything I need, and a few things I didn't expect to find. Herbs in bulk and packaged, Bach and FES remedies, magickal items and my Chinese medicine stuff I like...tons of goodies. I got some Bach Rescue Remedy lozenges, some herbal sleep aid softgels (need those), and some spirulina. Then to the bookstore, and oh, the bargain carts are dangerous! At 45 cents a book, I got 4 or 5 good ones, plus paid regular price for a pair of books on odd happenings and places in NM. Those books not only tell the stories very well, they also tell you how to get to the places, when the location is available. Road trips? Maybe when gas gets a bit more reasonable!
Back to Discount Tire, and a small setback. Since the Bravada is all-wheel drive, all four tires need to be within certain tolerances of each other as far as tread. The other tires were too worn to work with the new one, so I ended up getting all four tires. I was going to need them sooner or later, I knew, but I'd been hoping for later! Thank goodness for the charge card! I didn't have to use any of my house deposit money for the tires.
As far as house...well... I'm thinking the big 5 bed/3 bath is going to be out of reach, and not my best investment. Nice to dream, but I can do better. I looked at a 3br/2bath singlewide yesterday evening. It's do-able, but not in the best shape. Also, I don't think I can get hi-speed internet out there. That's a definite negative. I'll hold that one as last resort. The house in Pecos was a no-go from the start...I don't know how they can call a 4-room cottage a 2-bedroom, unless they expect someone to sleep in the living room. Open plan, no privacy, and way too small.
The search continues. The 'Thrifty Nickel', similar to our Penny Saver, comes out on Thursday, so there will be more ads there. I check the New Mexican online every day. The Journal is useless, as it's more ABQ than SF, and not sorted out by area. Keep the juju coming, folks, I know a good place is out there waiting for me. I need to find it by August 1st, and be in it by the 15th. I've written up my 'shopping list' so I know what I am manifesting. C'mon, Secret, work!! I know it will, I'm just anxious.
Anyway, that's where things are right now. More as it happens!

Ups and Downs

What a week.
On Thursday the 12th, our church family lost a very good friend. Betty's cancer took her far sooner than any of us expected. Heck, we expected her to get well!! Six months to the day from when we lost our friend Mel, Betty took her trip to the Summerlands. I'm really going to miss her. Betty was the one who gave me my elf for Yule. There's an inside joke there, obviously, and those who know me will get the true meaning. For the rest of you, let's just say I tend to like the Legolas-type.

On the up side, I have an appointment tomorrow to see a house. It's a great place, a manufactured house in a good park, but it could be moved to permanent land later on. Best of both worlds! It's got 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, and lots of amenities. The owners are looking for someone to take over payments, and I think it's very possible. I already had a meeting with my banker set up for Tuesday to talk about home buying possibilities, so this is just perfect timing! I can see me in that house already!

A sideways wobble... Called my friend Matti Tuesday, and found that he'd already gone up to see his brother Mark in Seattle. Well, pooh! Don't know how long he'll be there, but he'll be back, I'm sure.

Mama and Papa E. came down Friday to pick up their computer. Last I heard, Mama had it up and running, so that's good. Guess I can postpone my house call for a little bit! They didn't stay long, as I was at work, and they had running around that needed to be done before Papa's doctor appointment. Even if it's a short visit, it's sure nice to have "family" out here.

Today at work was a bit slow in the store, but that's ok. I got some much-needed organizing work done in back. The excitement of the afternoon was a mariachi band playing in the middle of the mall. Good stuff, but boy does that sound carry!!

As you can tell, there's no such thing as 'same old, same old' sometimes! Hopefully I will have good news soon, and I'll certainly share it with everyone.
ttyl!

Busy Monday

Lots to do today!
Woke up relatively early, about 7:00. Mama Gladys called at 7:30 to confirm that she and Papa Ron were coming down today for his doctor's appointment and our lunch date. Way cool.
Just in case they wanted to stop by my little apartment, I spent a couple of hours doing a thorough tidying up and rearranging. (Note to self: buy some bookends!) They ended up not having time to stop out at the house, but I still feel better having cleaned up.
We met at the mall at noon, and I gave the folks the nickel tour of my workplace. Both were favorably impressed, and they got to meet my bosses as well. Off to lunch after that. I was going to try the Plaza Cafe, but the traffic/parking mess was typical, so we decided to hit the Baking Co. Cafe instead. The sandwiches were a big hit, and I got the asian salad. Yummy. There was enough breeze for us to eat outside on the patio. The tables have umbrellas, so it was very comfortable.
When I took them back to the mall (we'd carpooled to lunch) I gave Mama some cookbooks I'd found, with diabetic friendly recipes, and a copy of my family's cookbook with the stories in it.
Papa's doctor appointment went well, and he's got a follow up on Friday, so they'll stop by the store to say hi and pick up a package that's getting shipped to me for them. Easier than shipping it clear up to their place and having to pick it up at the local diner!

My next task was to go out to Cochiti Lake, south of Santa Fe, and look at a house for rent. It's nice, but a bit on the small side. The rent's a bit more than I'd like to pay, and the houses on that street are all attached, too. I think I'll have to pass on that one, as nice as the area is. I think I'd feel too crowded.
So, I've made a few more calls, trying to contact people with places for rent. Left voicemail where I could, and now I'm stalled out till tomorrow, I guess. Time to work with The Secret some more.

Back into town again, checking the commute time/distance from Cochiti Lake, and stopped at work to get an order figured out for sax pads. Gotta have 'em, and if they get ordered tomorrow, they will get here in decent time, I hope. That's been my biggest frustration, really, just being out of parts and needing tools and supplies. Not an insurmountable problem, just inconvenient. I'm not used to having to order parts, since that was never really my job at the Woodwind. Just more to learn!

Tomorrow, I think I'll do laundry, check on some more housing options, and see what I can do for fun. Might be a good time to run into ABQ for no reason at all ;-)
TTFN!

I'd call it Weekend Update, but that name's taken...

Ahh, Sunday night. My weekend has begun.
I'm listening to a wonderful cello/keyboard duo at the Baking Co., and noshing on chilaquiles. Chilaquiles are scrambled eggs with corn tortilla strips, cheese, onions and chiles all mixed in. Pretty good, especially with the home fries and extra chile sauce. Damn, I think I'm going native.
The music is very good, very eclectic. I've heard classical pieces, some tangoes, and a cover of "Desperado" by the Eagles. Wild.
Last night I had some good music, too, at a bar & grill called Brumby's. A Galway fellow by the name of Gerry Carthy. Plays a great tenor guitar, whistle and other instruments. Not much of a crowd there, unfortunately for him, but we got to talk a bit. Bought a CD. Gerry's been around Santa Fe for 20 years now, and he says he still feels like the only Irishman around. He did mention a place in ABQ that sometimes has music, and maybe they have a session. The website says live music Sunday afternoons, so we'll see. Might have to trade a day off and go down.

Been looking for more permanent housing, too, and there were a couple of promising ads in the paper today. I think I'll call on them tomorrow and see what I find. I'm very close to having enough money for "first,last & deposit", and depending on what the landlords ask for, I could be in another place within a paycheck or two. Time to put "The Secret" to work, or at least pay closer attention to what I'm asking for!!

Flexibility can be fun

Well, I didn't make it to the 'Pancakes on the Plaza' yesterday, and I'm not disappointed at all, since I was up at the Mountain Home instead. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Monday is one of my regular days off, so I decided to go down to the Plaza area and do a little shopping and people-watching. Lots of tourists, of course, but also very neat shops and cafes all over. I was doing some shopping for a friend of mine, actually, and tourist stuff is exactly what I wanted to find. Betty is undergoing chemo and radiation (both at once!) and will probably lose her hair. I found some neat bandanas and a Santa Fe baseball cap for her. I also found a really cool t-shirt that I sent to my friend Kevin...it says "Make Art, Not War" and the graphic looks a bit like an old Soviet propaganda poster. He'll get a kick out of that, I think. I sent my parcels out Tuesday by priority mail, so maybe he'll get the shirt in time for the gallery opening on Friday. We'll see.
Also found an excellent restaurant, the India Palace. Nice staff, good buffet. The naan (bread) was so good, and there's plenty of vegetarian fare, of course. Reasonable price for downtown, too, under 10 bucks including drink.

Tuesday, I dropped off my packages at the post office, and headed up to Chama around 10 a.m. Got to the Mountain Home about noonish, to find that there was a small traffic jam at the gate to the community. Someone was delivering a small house/large shed on the back of the truck. Turns out that the driver was one Matt Bouska, John's brother! Papa Ron and he talked for a bit, in the road, and that was cool. Small world out here, I tell ya. See, John's in Indiana, but used to work with Papa out here, and....you get the idea.
Of course, when I go up to the mountain home, there's usually a chore or two. And not two days before this, Papa Ron had mentioned that the water filters were in need of a change. Naturally, since I changed them in April, I was right in time to change them again! I don't mind, especially since neither Papa nor Mama Gladys can really get down onto the floor to work on them. I'm already penciled in for Labor Day, when the next change is due. ;-) I also worked on their old dinosaur computer while I was up there. Pentium II, on a very slow dialup...not much I can do, but I did find a few problems I could fix. Glad there's a new machine on the way for them!
Don't worry, I did relax while I was up there. Read a book, visited neighbors and just chilled out as best I could in the heat. Tuesday was a scorcher, and if it hadn't been for an afternoon thundershower, Wednesday would have been just as bad. I ended up spending the night Tuesday, and Wednesday there was a potluck at one of the neighbors' houses. Got to meet more of the local residents, very nice people. After dinner, I headed back home to Santa Fe. (That still sounds odd to me....) I now have my own key to the community gate, so the folks won't have to use gas and time to come meet me and let me in. Way cool. Guess I'm really adopted now!
Got home last night just as the fireworks were going on. Watched them from the road as I drove in, and it was very pretty. Stopped for a quick internet fix in the parking lot of my favorite hotspot (come on, two days on nothing but dialup? I was jonesing!!) and then headed home to feed the cats.
The cats were happy to see me, as they'd been subsisting on dry kibble and water while I was gone. If they ever get the hang of opposable thumbs and can open the cans of wet food, I may be out of a job! But they are good cats, if annoying and noisy while I'm trying to sleep. I admit, it will be nice when I have a separate bedroom with a door again!
So, back to work today after my little holiday. Nice busy day, lots of people in the store, and I even sold a guitar! Hopefully this upward trend will continue.
A nice dinner of cold sesame noodles and spring roll tonight, and soon I'll head back to the apartment. I have a DVD to watch before I take it back to the library in the morning.
We'd been having some water problems in the house this past week, but it seems to be resolved for now, so I'll be glad to get my dishes caught up. Nothing major, just annoyance at this point.

Can't think of anything else, but if you have questions or comments, drop a line.

Friday night fun, Saturday evening mellow....

Last night was a blast!
I got out of work early, and headed down to Albuquerque to go to the Gaelic Storm concert at the Zoo. Managed to find my way there, and did a 'park & ride' shuttle bus from the Botanical Garden parking lot. Lots easier than trying to park at the zoo! The lines were huge, but I finally got my ticket and headed in.
The bandshell is nice, and all the seating is lawn-style; bring chairs and blankets. I found a space over by the dance floor, naturally! Got myself a Guinness and a bite to eat, and settled in...for about five minutes. Lots of dancing going on, and I ended up joining in with a group of folks. We got talking, and they turned out to be some of the local pagan community! Now I'm even more glad that I got to go to the concert. We exchanged info, and now I have a connection that I'd been hoping to make. Yay!
After a great show, I treated myself to a snack at the Frontier Restaurant on Central Ave. Awesome place, good food, open 24/7. If I lived in Abq, I think I'd be hanging out there a lot!
Finally got home about 12:30 a.m. and started winding down. Had a lot to think about, including the workings of the universe in my meeting these particular pagans at this particular time. Those who know me best will understand, or at least know to ask me about that privately. :-D

So today, Saturday, I pried myself out of bed with Michael Longcor's song "I Can't Party as Hearty as I Partied when I Partied at 21" running thru my mind... Got up, went into town. Deposited/cashed my FIRST PAYCHECK! It's only a week's worth, but a very nice amount to me. I'm still trying to be economical of course, but it's nice to be making a decent wage at last. It shouldn't take long for me to save up enough to get into a nice place of my own with room for guests :-)
Worked all day, got a lot done, I think. Flutes this week. Bleah. They are so time-consuming! At least now I have the supplies I need to do them. And I should have a bunch of tools that I need coming in this week, too. I've been making do, and I did manage to get some tools at the jewelry supply store, but there are some things I really can't find substitutes for.
Tonight's supper is courtesy of the SF Baking Co. again. A veggieburger and a bowl of tomato cheddar soup. Good stuff.
I'll probably head home soon and curl up with a good book. I got some good ones at the library this week, including one on Mercury retrograde, one on Witchcraft in the Southwest (historical accounts!), a few mysteries and one on Native American lore.

Tomorrow is the 1st, so I'll try to call Matt and see if he wants to join me on a run up to the Mountain Home. I'm off work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday! Wednesday's the 4th, of course, and I'm gonna try to go to the Pancakes on the Plaza event. There's a car show, too, and other activities. Should be fun!

Right now I'm feeling a bit mellow and melancholy. Nothing major, but I sure do miss being able to talk to all my friends more often. With the 2 hour time difference, it's even hard to make phone calls! By the time I get off of work at 6 here, it's already 8 in Indiana. Oh, well. At least there's email! (That's a hint, y'all!)
Off I go. More when I get a chance!

Storms and stuff

Wrote this up last night, Thursday, but didn't get a chance to post till this morning.

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Well, last night was certainly interesting! I had a ringside seat for one of the best thunderstorms I’ve seen in ages!
It started about sunset, rolling in from the south-southwest. I was watching it out the windows while I had dinner and started up a DVD. By the time the first disc of movie was done, I decided to take an extended intermission and head outside.
The rain was pretty heavy, so I also put out my bowl to catch some rainwater. There really hadn’t been enough to catch on Litha, so I figured this would make up for it.
The house dog is afraid of lightning, so he had been taken inside shortly before the storm got rolling. Yay! This means I can open up the windows to the porch and let the whole place air out!
So, here I am, sitting on a bench, on the porch. I’m on the side of a nice mountain (remember the pics I showed you?), and Thor is having a field day. Lightning everywhere, and some of it pretty close! It was just one bolt after another, and the thunder from one would overlap into the next rumble. I had grabbed a bottle of Guinness out of the fridge, and just sat back and enjoyed. The temperature was downright chilly after a while, and it felt so good. I laughed and applauded and had a great time. There may be more storms tonight and tomorrow. Sure hope the Gaelic Storm concert tomorrow doesn’t turn into a total washout! (Though if Matti does end up coming with me, I’m sure I wouldn’t mind being caught in a storm….*grin*)
I guess this is the start of what the locals call ‘monsoon season’. Not my idea of a monsoon, of course, but it’s good to get rain. The weather patterns out here are different, naturally, what with the altitude and the terrain. I’m enjoying learning the new sky!
So, yeah, tomorrow night I’m gonna go to Abq for the Gaelic Storm show. It’s at the zoo, so lawn seating. Hence, I’m at the Laundromat washing my furry blanket thing so I have something to sit on tomorrow. There’s food available there, so I may eat at the show, or I may wait till afterward and hit the Frontier Restaurant. We’ll see. Haven’t gotten a call back from Matt, so this is probably gonna be a solo trip. No biggie, I know he’s busy lately. I’ll try calling again tomorrow, just in case he didn’t get the voicemail.

I also got something very neat in the mail yesterday. I had ordered a five-volume set of books: The Kitchen Grimoire. I forget the author’s name, sorry. I got them through the site that took over from the Pagan Kitchen MSN group. The new place is http://www.paganliving.org They have good forums, lots of recipes, and a nice bit of a store. Well, the gal who wrote the books had a bit of a crisis going on, and I’d been wanting to get the books anyway, so it seemed like the right time.
Wow, what a collection!! It’s a set of five 3-ring binders, very handsomely done, and the printing/publishing was done by a cookbook company. There are tons of recipes, of course, for food, potions, remedies, toiletries, you name it. There are also pages of lore, astrology tips, ritual and tool ideas, and more. If you’ve got the money to get this, I recommend you look at doing so. With the shipping, it was about 50 bucks for me. Cheaper by the set, of course, but you can also order volumes separately if you wish. There’s enough in there to keep this little bookworm happy for quite a while.