My day started poorly: I was halfway done with my shower before I remembered that I took out the towel that was hanging up in the bathroom when I went to do laundry yesterday. So the hallway carpet is a bit wet right now from my quick trip to grab a new one. My roommate tends to turn the heat off during the day, despite the fact that I'm here during the day (because she is inconsiderate), so it was a pretty chilly run.
Work still isn't terribly busy, so I don't think I'll be able to get in any overtime today. Fun.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
holidailies 2013: episode 9
My job is extremely feast or famine. Due to how things are scheduled by another department, we often run out of work at the end of the month, stretching easily a week into the new month, and then we suddenly get really busy. This month is no exception: I spent last week scrounging for hours (grateful that Thanksgiving weekend's two days of holiday pay will help offset that a little), and then I logged in this morning to find a call for voluntary overtime this week. The punchline is that we're still not that busy, so we need to wait til later in the week to do the overtime hours we've pledged. My problem is that I'm off on Friday (instead of my usual Wednesday, since the quarterly meeting and departmental holiday gathering is this week and in-office events are ALWAYS scheduled on my day off; I went back through two years of calendar events to prove this point to management when they asked what changes could be made to the department) and Saturdays are now ten-hour shifts for me, so I don't really have a ton of time available at the end of this week for extra hours. I know I'll figure it out somehow, like I always do, but it just adds to the stress of what is already a pretty stressful job.
In other news: I really can't wait til mid-January. When I had my eyes tested in October, the optometrist said I had some swelling in my left ocular nerve, and she set me up with a neuro-opthamologist in a somewhat nearby town (neuro-opthamology is apparently a rare specialty and as such there are only a few of these specialists in the metro area). She said it can cause intercranial pressure and that it can likely be treated with medication. She made a point to say I should really have it checked out, which of course concerned me. So that appointment is in January; I had it originally scheduled for the week of Thanksgiving, but I just couldn't take the time away from work that week. I've definitely noticed a difference in vision quality in my left eye, and it always feels like something's stuck in there (like an eyelash I can't get to), so I seriously cannot wait to have it looked at.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
holidailies 2013: episodde 8
It's been very rainy this week. Today is no exception. A huge storm system is coming toward us, so I'm going to leave my boyfriend's house (which is about an hour from me) in about an hour and a half so that I can try to beat it home.
I've disliked driving in the rain since I was in college. My first car accident was during Hurricane Opal in 1995, and I hope I never have a similar experience. I was on the interstate, and I hydroplaned and spun until I hit a guardrail head-on. Fortunately no other cars were involved in the accident, though I did find out later that a girl I went to high school with saw it happen and didn't stop. Nice, right?
Regardless, since then I've avoided driving in the rain whenever possible. I'm especially hesitant these days, because I just bought a new (to me) car in April.
I've disliked driving in the rain since I was in college. My first car accident was during Hurricane Opal in 1995, and I hope I never have a similar experience. I was on the interstate, and I hydroplaned and spun until I hit a guardrail head-on. Fortunately no other cars were involved in the accident, though I did find out later that a girl I went to high school with saw it happen and didn't stop. Nice, right?
Regardless, since then I've avoided driving in the rain whenever possible. I'm especially hesitant these days, because I just bought a new (to me) car in April.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
holidailies 2013: episode 7
I'm happy to be out of the house today. My roommate burned something this morning; it smelled like she spilled coffee on the still-hot plate, and it stunk up the entire house. I got another wicked headache and I started to feel sick. As a result, I left a bit earlier than I'd planned. I continue to think good thoughts for a new housing situation to make itself available to me soon.
We've had a relatively low-key day. He and his friend were recording their podcast for the week when I got here, so I hung out on the couch and played games on my phone. Then when that was done, I did some work while he messed around online. We eventually ordered Chinese for dinner, watched the last half of the Video Game Awards, and then started watching Arrested Development on Netflix. I have seen it several times, but he has not seen it ever and I decided that was an imbalance that must be corrected. I wasn't sure if it'd be his kind of show (since we seem to have differing tastes on most things), but he seems to find it funny, so that's a relief. Tomorrow will likely be more of the same, minus work (my newly-acquired second day off per week!).
We've had a relatively low-key day. He and his friend were recording their podcast for the week when I got here, so I hung out on the couch and played games on my phone. Then when that was done, I did some work while he messed around online. We eventually ordered Chinese for dinner, watched the last half of the Video Game Awards, and then started watching Arrested Development on Netflix. I have seen it several times, but he has not seen it ever and I decided that was an imbalance that must be corrected. I wasn't sure if it'd be his kind of show (since we seem to have differing tastes on most things), but he seems to find it funny, so that's a relief. Tomorrow will likely be more of the same, minus work (my newly-acquired second day off per week!).
Friday, December 6, 2013
holidailies 2013: episode 6
I started the day really wanting a do-over. I woke up with a crippling migraine at about 4:00 a.m. I tried
unsuccessfully to sleep it off til about 6:30, then I got up to take
something and I figured I might as well start work (good call, since the
garage door opening as my roommate left would have shocked me out of
sleep right then anyway). I walked out into the office area and was
immediately assaulted by a scent cloud of
cheap coffee, hairspray, and stank perfume (just like every morning,
and it would have given me a headache if I didn't already have one). A short time later, I was petting one of her cats, the one who likes to bite; when he
lunged at my hand, I reflexively yanked it back and smashed my wrist into
the arm of my chair.
I turned the day around with a trip to Starbucks in the late afternoon, because I had a half-price code to use. Cheap giant latte! I really like their holiday drinks. The caramel brûlée latte and peppermint mocha (both hot and in frappuccino form) are fantastic. I have not yet had their remastered gingerbread latte, though I imagine I will before the end of the holiday season.
Played more Crusader Kings 2 tonight. I loaded up the game, then I remembered that I wanted to put one of the expansions on my wish list. I went to the CK2 page on Steam and saw they had almost everything listed for 75% off, so I bought The Old Gods and Legacy of Rome for just under $5. Awesome.
This weekend should be pretty good: though tomorrow is a ten-hour work day, I'll be heading to my boyfriend's house in the afternoon and staying until midday Sunday. The weekly breaks from my obnoxious roommate are very, very nice.
Randomly: An ex-boyfriend contacted me out of the blue last week to see how I was doing (at that point, it had been just over a year since my lying, cheating ex ended our three-year relationship while I was in the ER having an unstoppable anxiety attack about the fact that I had found out that he was cheating). I had honestly never expected to hear from him again, because when I'd talked to him the past few times, he seemed very uncomfortable and like he couldn't wait for the conversation to end. We emailed back and forth for a while until he gave me his number, and then we had a pretty nice two-hour chat, which was surprising given our tumultuous history, and I thought we might stay in touch now. Haven't heard from him since. Oh well.
I turned the day around with a trip to Starbucks in the late afternoon, because I had a half-price code to use. Cheap giant latte! I really like their holiday drinks. The caramel brûlée latte and peppermint mocha (both hot and in frappuccino form) are fantastic. I have not yet had their remastered gingerbread latte, though I imagine I will before the end of the holiday season.
Played more Crusader Kings 2 tonight. I loaded up the game, then I remembered that I wanted to put one of the expansions on my wish list. I went to the CK2 page on Steam and saw they had almost everything listed for 75% off, so I bought The Old Gods and Legacy of Rome for just under $5. Awesome.
This weekend should be pretty good: though tomorrow is a ten-hour work day, I'll be heading to my boyfriend's house in the afternoon and staying until midday Sunday. The weekly breaks from my obnoxious roommate are very, very nice.
Randomly: An ex-boyfriend contacted me out of the blue last week to see how I was doing (at that point, it had been just over a year since my lying, cheating ex ended our three-year relationship while I was in the ER having an unstoppable anxiety attack about the fact that I had found out that he was cheating). I had honestly never expected to hear from him again, because when I'd talked to him the past few times, he seemed very uncomfortable and like he couldn't wait for the conversation to end. We emailed back and forth for a while until he gave me his number, and then we had a pretty nice two-hour chat, which was surprising given our tumultuous history, and I thought we might stay in touch now. Haven't heard from him since. Oh well.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
holidailies 2013: episode 5
I decided not to go to the orthopedist about my wrist after all. The pain subsided Tuesday evening, so I figured I'd save the $25 copay and just go if/when it starts bothering me again. It was probably just a pinched nerve or some other temporary weirdness.
I still haven't gotten any further replies to my craigslist roommate ad. I really want to live in the house I mentioned earlier, but I don't know if that'll end up working out.
This entry is kind of boring. Apologies! Work is frying my brain.
As far as games go: I messed around with FEZ a little bit yesterday, having picked it up for cheap from the Steam sale. It's really cute and clever, but I don't have it in me to get all LOST-level fanatical about the deeper meanings. I did find a somewhat decent walkthrough that explains some of it, so eventually I can go "oh, neat" and then just play the game without having to delve into deciphering and things. What's really disappointing is that there don't seem to be any good LPs on it. Any given LPer I've tried watching is either clueless or they're really darn boring/unpleasant to watch/listen to. Too bad. If anyone has any suggestions, please share them!
I still haven't gotten any further replies to my craigslist roommate ad. I really want to live in the house I mentioned earlier, but I don't know if that'll end up working out.
This entry is kind of boring. Apologies! Work is frying my brain.
As far as games go: I messed around with FEZ a little bit yesterday, having picked it up for cheap from the Steam sale. It's really cute and clever, but I don't have it in me to get all LOST-level fanatical about the deeper meanings. I did find a somewhat decent walkthrough that explains some of it, so eventually I can go "oh, neat" and then just play the game without having to delve into deciphering and things. What's really disappointing is that there don't seem to be any good LPs on it. Any given LPer I've tried watching is either clueless or they're really darn boring/unpleasant to watch/listen to. Too bad. If anyone has any suggestions, please share them!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
holidailies 2013: episode 4
Crusader Kings 2 is the best game. The BEST.
I happened to get it in a Humble Bundle a few months ago, partly because one of my other Facebook/Steam friends had been playing it a lot and I thought it looked kind of neat (and for what I paid for the bundle, if it wasn't, so what? I'm out a few bucks that went to charity), but mostly because my boyfriend said there was a Game of Thrones mod for it. SOLD.
It was really hard to get started: Paradox's tutorials are notoriously crappy. I think my biggest mistake was starting with the GoT mod. I started as a random Westerosi character who then instantly got smacked down by...I think it was Robert Baratheon, actually...and then suddenly I had no land because his army completely owned me. Oops. So I consulted the internets (continued watching a bunch of Let's Plays about it) and started messing around in Ireland. I still wasn't totally sure what I was doing, so one of my boyfriend's friends, the one who is really into the game and has a few hundred hours invested, took us both through some basic starting strategies. And now...
I've got ninety hours played so far, and while I still haven't been able to form the Empire of Brittania on my Irish games (because England is always a dick), on my Norwegian game...
Let's just say that King Harald is, historically and in the game, a giant badass.
I've been playing this particular game for two days (so many holy wars!), and despite a little save-gave fuckery with stupid Scotland, this is my progress. I have all of Brittania, Iceland, the Scandinavian regions, and a number of territories to the west, and I've been starting to take chunks of Frankish, Spanish, and Polish holdings, and also screwing with the King of Hungary because it's really fun. But today is when I locked down Scandinavia. It's like "What'd you do today?" "Oh, not much. Did some laundry, ran a few errands, formed the Empire of Scandinavia. You know, the usual." I'd been playing as the Emperor of Brittania prior to forming Scandinavia, but this seemed more correct for a Norwegian ruler to have as his primary title.
I think my next mission is to take out the Holy Roman Empire. That should be fun. Hard, but fun. I have the biggest army in the game world at the moment, but the HRE is no joke.
I've only played as Catholics so far, so I also really want to try playing as the Norse and the Tengri soon. Subjugation wars! Pagans! Yay!
I happened to get it in a Humble Bundle a few months ago, partly because one of my other Facebook/Steam friends had been playing it a lot and I thought it looked kind of neat (and for what I paid for the bundle, if it wasn't, so what? I'm out a few bucks that went to charity), but mostly because my boyfriend said there was a Game of Thrones mod for it. SOLD.
It was really hard to get started: Paradox's tutorials are notoriously crappy. I think my biggest mistake was starting with the GoT mod. I started as a random Westerosi character who then instantly got smacked down by...I think it was Robert Baratheon, actually...and then suddenly I had no land because his army completely owned me. Oops. So I consulted the internets (continued watching a bunch of Let's Plays about it) and started messing around in Ireland. I still wasn't totally sure what I was doing, so one of my boyfriend's friends, the one who is really into the game and has a few hundred hours invested, took us both through some basic starting strategies. And now...
I've got ninety hours played so far, and while I still haven't been able to form the Empire of Brittania on my Irish games (because England is always a dick), on my Norwegian game...
Let's just say that King Harald is, historically and in the game, a giant badass.
I've been playing this particular game for two days (so many holy wars!), and despite a little save-gave fuckery with stupid Scotland, this is my progress. I have all of Brittania, Iceland, the Scandinavian regions, and a number of territories to the west, and I've been starting to take chunks of Frankish, Spanish, and Polish holdings, and also screwing with the King of Hungary because it's really fun. But today is when I locked down Scandinavia. It's like "What'd you do today?" "Oh, not much. Did some laundry, ran a few errands, formed the Empire of Scandinavia. You know, the usual." I'd been playing as the Emperor of Brittania prior to forming Scandinavia, but this seemed more correct for a Norwegian ruler to have as his primary title.
I think my next mission is to take out the Holy Roman Empire. That should be fun. Hard, but fun. I have the biggest army in the game world at the moment, but the HRE is no joke.
I've only played as Catholics so far, so I also really want to try playing as the Norse and the Tengri soon. Subjugation wars! Pagans! Yay!
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
holidailies 2013: episode 3
Not too much happened today. No further leads on a new place. I just spent the day working and making endless cups of tea.
Tomorrow I'm seeing my orthopedist in the morning, because my left wrist was really painful today in a disturbing way. I'm sure it's not broken (and I'm fairly certain I didn't injure it...though I do tend to run into doorjambs a lot), but stabbing pains shoot through it and my hand whenever I grab or squeeze anything (which made adding honey to my tea this morning an ordeal). At the same time that I hope it's nothing, I also kind of hope it's something, because something can theoretically be taken care of. Though this is a good example of the continuing healthcare problems in this country: I don't make a lot of money, and so I'm always loathe to go to the doctor if I don't have to (exceptions being ear infections and UTIs, because holy crap, those are both painful and I will immediately go in those cases). I even funded my FSA fully this year, but I'm still afraid to spend any of the money, because what if something happens and I need it?
A board I post on does a holiday card exchange every year, and I just got this year's distribution list. I'm excited! I got really cute seasonal cards. I don't celebrate Christmas and I generally dislike this time of year, but the card exchange is the highlight of the season for me. It's fun to get cards from all over the world.
Tomorrow I'm seeing my orthopedist in the morning, because my left wrist was really painful today in a disturbing way. I'm sure it's not broken (and I'm fairly certain I didn't injure it...though I do tend to run into doorjambs a lot), but stabbing pains shoot through it and my hand whenever I grab or squeeze anything (which made adding honey to my tea this morning an ordeal). At the same time that I hope it's nothing, I also kind of hope it's something, because something can theoretically be taken care of. Though this is a good example of the continuing healthcare problems in this country: I don't make a lot of money, and so I'm always loathe to go to the doctor if I don't have to (exceptions being ear infections and UTIs, because holy crap, those are both painful and I will immediately go in those cases). I even funded my FSA fully this year, but I'm still afraid to spend any of the money, because what if something happens and I need it?
A board I post on does a holiday card exchange every year, and I just got this year's distribution list. I'm excited! I got really cute seasonal cards. I don't celebrate Christmas and I generally dislike this time of year, but the card exchange is the highlight of the season for me. It's fun to get cards from all over the world.
Monday, December 2, 2013
holidailies 2013: episode 2
I mentioned yesterday that I was going to look at a possible new home in the afternoon.
The house was nice. The room she described (more on that in a minute) was huge, with an attached bath. She was also going to throw in a second fairly large room that I could use as an office without increasing the price we discussed prior. Because of work, community involvement, and social activities, she's almost never home. And she has a young Siberian cat who is adorable.
The problem is that her current tenant wouldn't let her into the bedroom to show me the space, so I wasn't able to see it. She said she wouldn't go in there until the tenant was moving out, which I can respect, because I'd want her to treat me and my space the same way if I lived there. Since yesterday was December 1st and since my current roommate requires me to give a month's notice at the beginning of a month, I asked if a move-in date of February 1st would work. She said she didn't know if she could go that long without the extra income. While I absolutely understand that, she likewise understands where I'm coming from: that, while I totally believe her when she tells me how nice the bedroom and bathroom are, I'm not comfortable giving notice on my current place and signing a lease for something sight unseen. So we left it at this: her current tenant is supposed to be moving out next week. If she doesn't find a new renter by around December 20th, I asked her to let me know, and I'd give my notice on January 1st and move in by the beginning of February.
I hope it works out, because I feel like this would be a dream situation for me (right location, attached bathroom, the bonus office space, quiet, mostly alone in the house, pool!, KITTY!). The reality of the situation is that she might not even have time to get someone in there by January 1st: she wants to paint the room beforehand, because a previous renter asked to paint but only got so far as putting primer up, and she said her current tenant is a messy, disgusting nightmare, so who knows what condition the room is in. Since she has such a busy schedule, she might not have a chance to make everything happen that needs to before she brings in a new tenant. So maybe? She seemed to like me and want me to move in, so I'm remaining realistic but still slightly hopeful.
The house was nice. The room she described (more on that in a minute) was huge, with an attached bath. She was also going to throw in a second fairly large room that I could use as an office without increasing the price we discussed prior. Because of work, community involvement, and social activities, she's almost never home. And she has a young Siberian cat who is adorable.
The problem is that her current tenant wouldn't let her into the bedroom to show me the space, so I wasn't able to see it. She said she wouldn't go in there until the tenant was moving out, which I can respect, because I'd want her to treat me and my space the same way if I lived there. Since yesterday was December 1st and since my current roommate requires me to give a month's notice at the beginning of a month, I asked if a move-in date of February 1st would work. She said she didn't know if she could go that long without the extra income. While I absolutely understand that, she likewise understands where I'm coming from: that, while I totally believe her when she tells me how nice the bedroom and bathroom are, I'm not comfortable giving notice on my current place and signing a lease for something sight unseen. So we left it at this: her current tenant is supposed to be moving out next week. If she doesn't find a new renter by around December 20th, I asked her to let me know, and I'd give my notice on January 1st and move in by the beginning of February.
I hope it works out, because I feel like this would be a dream situation for me (right location, attached bathroom, the bonus office space, quiet, mostly alone in the house, pool!, KITTY!). The reality of the situation is that she might not even have time to get someone in there by January 1st: she wants to paint the room beforehand, because a previous renter asked to paint but only got so far as putting primer up, and she said her current tenant is a messy, disgusting nightmare, so who knows what condition the room is in. Since she has such a busy schedule, she might not have a chance to make everything happen that needs to before she brings in a new tenant. So maybe? She seemed to like me and want me to move in, so I'm remaining realistic but still slightly hopeful.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
holidailies 2013: episode 1
Thought I'd try this yet again. Let's see...
Currently I am trying to move out of my terrible housemate's home. It's too far north, and my housemate is a unfriendly, hostile tyrant. Fortunately, I have a lead on a place that I am going to look at this afternoon!
I know this is a pretty short post, but I'm just about to walk out the door to see this place. More tomorrow!
Currently I am trying to move out of my terrible housemate's home. It's too far north, and my housemate is a unfriendly, hostile tyrant. Fortunately, I have a lead on a place that I am going to look at this afternoon!
I know this is a pretty short post, but I'm just about to walk out the door to see this place. More tomorrow!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
