Seeing that I told you all that I would be back once school started, I'm a little behind on my posting.
Here's a little bit about what you missed while I was gone:
Alex moved in. Interning at the DA's office was so rewarding, and I am 3 weeks away from being finished. My job at JewelryShop sucks, and I hate my boss, but have made some awesome friends. I'm back in school, and the workload is a little heavy for all the things that I am juggling, but once my internship is over, I anticipate having a little more time on my hands for things such as homework. I have an interview at a nearby EB, the company that I have worked for on and off for the past five years. I am excommunicating my father, finally, after he put me through hell, worrying about whether or not I was going to have to sue him for the money that he is court ordered to pay. I'm doing some night work for the Stillings', and other than that, things are going pretty smoothly.
So, now onto school. I'm taking four classes, but only 3.5 credits. Right now, school consists of Mondays and Wednesdays, starting at 9:10 with an art class, then an English class that does a lot of reading (all Pulitzer prize-winning novels), and finally ending at 4:00 with a Personality Psychology Seminar. I love the art class, though I'm not too good with art. In fact, my latest escapade in the art world had to do with basically a white sheet of paper, colored almost all black with charcoal, except for a little bit of gray on the sides. Definitely epic. So not good. I'll post a picture later. My teacher said, just as we were leaving class, "I'm not going to grade these until Wednesday, so if you want to add anything to them..." I just thought, man, if I add anything to mine, it's just going to be one big, charcoal-y mess. When you see the picture, it will be funnier, I promise.
The literature class is also very amazing. Right now, we just finished Beloved, the book that I was trying to put off reading for the longest time because I thought it would be painful. It was, to some degree, but it was also very delightful. I had a good time reading it. It's about a ghost, basically, of a baby, who comes back to haunt her mother. Quite an interesting and original idea. Next, we're going to read the Shipping News. I've already started because I wanted to get a head start on the semester, so I bought my books about a month in advance, and started reading the one that looked most interesting. I also have to read The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz, and Olive Kitteridge, by someone I can't remember the name of right at the moment.
As for personality seminar, not so much. He assigns so much reading, and most of it is really dense, so I rarely get it all done. Not only that, but I don't understand a lot of the stuff that he says, but I'm too embarrassed to ask for clarification. *shrug* I suppose I'll get through it.
Finally, I'm taking the first part of my thesis class, which is a little scary at the moment. I am so not looking forward to writing that 20 page paper next semester. I thought theses were supposed to happen when you were in grad. school! Not in undergrad! Man, if I'm stressing now, think what it will be like when I actually start writing.
Also, I feel so accomplished today. I finished most of my and AS's laundry last night, so the laundry monster of monumental proportions is finally under control again. It took 4 hours! I didn't know it was possible to have that much laundry! Since school started, it has been easier to do it. While we still don't have a car, we can walk our laundry to the school (not far from the house) and pay 5-10 dollars to do seven loads of laundry (including drying!), as opposed to the 15-20 that we were paying at the laundromat, which was also a $5.00 bus ride away.
I love this. I love the freedom that I have now, even though I am working my ass off and taking odd jobs and such. Doing my laundry outside of my home, paying rent and my own bills, and the other downfalls are just a small price to pay for my life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

It has recently hit me that I am four posts away from meeting my goal of having 200 posts, and not only that, but I haven't posted at all for the month of July. As of today, multiple things have changed in my life. AAS moved here to Collegetown a couple weeks ago, then, while setting up care with his new doctors, he landed himself in the hospital so they could kill the clots in him. So, he's been here since Tuesday, and I've been able to spend two nights with him. His family, luckily, was visiting, so they have been taking me back and forth from Collegetown to Hospitalville (an hour each way). They have been paying for dinner, they took us shopping for the things that we needed in our house.
DA internship is going extremely well, and I love some of my cases, and hate others. I can't stand my job at Zales, but I love the people I work with. Yesterday, I told my boss to not get hit by a car when she went to go get her lunch of pizza and soda. She stopped and gave me a look like, Did you really just say that? while my co-worker M. and I cracked up. I've made excellent friends with a girl named TM, soon to be TY, and ended up at a strip club for gay men, where all but one of the strippers were straight. (It was her bachelorette party). I'm totally stoked for her wedding, and also, the last wedding I went to, (LR and DH) Alex urged me to go try for the bouquet, and it's funny, because I actually caught it. Funny thing is, he's already told me he plans to propose in the next year. Freaking Awesome. :). We won't get married for a long time though, til we're 26. That way, he can stay on his parents' insurance plan in case something like this happens again. He's considering going into nursing, which I think is a good idea: more pay, better health benefits, and he'll be working in a hospital ALL THE TIME!
I love having him in the house. He's currently looking for a job, a hard thing to find in this dick-faced economy, and in the process, he cooks, he cleans, and best of all, he freaking LOVES me. And I love him... so much. Long distance worked for two years (a little less than), and now he's here, and he lives with me. *glee!*

Yo, Dudes.

I'm peacing out for the time being. I'm working at the DA's office in the Victim Assistance Division, and as a result, my life has become too interesting to write about. The other stuff is just boring in comparison, which is why I believe no one reads this damn thing. I will post random stuff here and there, but it will be rare, and I will pick up my once a week ritual when school starts again in September.
Love y'all.

Finally.

Neither of these postcards were sent in to PostSecret by me, but both of them describe pretty adequately how I feel. The one exception is that I had my loving and amazing boyfriend, and my fantastic mother as well as my TV show and movie companions. It's been a hard year, but it's looking up, folks. It's looking up.

New Place, New Life

It's been SO LONG since I posted last that I felt like I owed my one devoted reader a new article. I found myself a new place. YES! That is right. I found a new place to live, one away from the crazy old woman, one of my very own. It's very small. It's very dirty. But it's very mine. I have lots of new friends in my new place. Many of them are spiders, alive and dead. I let one live today, because my mother said that I shouldn't waste time and energy on such a small spider. I told her that the only reason I waste time and energy on even the small ones is because I don't want them to end up in my bed, which, by the way, is very close to my living room. The kitchen is attached to the living/dining area, which is attached to my bedroom, which is attached to the bathroom. I'm learning all of my new house's quirks, like not drinking the water, and that the facet leaks slightly when you turn on the cold water, and the heater makes funny noises when I turn it up past seventy (only for a moment, and I only did it as a test). Also, the kitchen smells like gas when I cook, and the cupboards and drawers really need some contact paper. My parents are coming here for my uncle's wedding in two weeks, so I'm making a list of stuff that I want them to buy me when they get here. A plug for my tub is one of those things, because the handle that is supposed to stop the water from leaking down the drain doesn't work. You are lucky if you even get it two inches full for a bath.
It's weird sleeping in my own house on my own. The first night I stayed there, I got scared, because earlier that afternoon, I had been sleeping on my newly made bed, basking in the sun, when a creepy guy knocked on my window, and asked if I wanted a beer. When I said no, he asked if I wanted a Coke. When I refused that too, he asked if I wanted an iced tea. I turned that down also. He looked unconvinced, and somewhat dejected. I closed my window and got rid of him. Later that evening, I had opened my shades again, and I caught him walking past, when he had no reason to. Creeper. So I talked to my landlord. Turns out the guy is a felon who was staying with his mom. A felon for kidnapping. Ha. No wonder the only thing he was offering me was a drink. Bastard was trying to drug me. Anyway, Landlord talked to his mom and had her kick him out. Thank goodness. I don't think I could live next to a creeper for a year.
I did all of my dishes today (that I have unpacked so far). I was shocked to see that I actually had a sink! When I was done, I had five wet dish towels on my hands, with no towel rack to hang them on. Believe me, that's on my list. I also started to clean up my living room. Now you can see slightly more dirty brown carpet than before. And no, the carpet isn't brown because it's dirty. Mom said she was going to bring a carpet cleaner down from up North when she comes in two weeks. That way, I can get my carpet cleaned without having to pay someone for it.
Best things about my new house:

1. I can stay out as late as I want, or leave as early as I want, and I don't have to greet or bid adieu to someone I despise when I come and go.
2. There is no biddy with unlimited access to an annoying call button on a walkie talkie that I am responsible for.
3. I can decide what to have for dinner, at what time, and I don't have to have something from every food group on my plate.
4. No one is around to tell me when to clean, where to clean, or how to clean.
   
5. No one is around to interrupt me when I am doing something important, or something I care about, which hasn't been happening a lot lately, since all I've been doing is working at the DA's and at Zales. But still.
6. I can shop for my own groceries, and plan meals that don't disgust me, like "Pork and ginger ragu with squash," shit like Chrys used to make when she came down from Alaska.
   
7. There is no one around to correct my grammar, tell me that it's "she and I" and not "her and me".
8. There is no one around to interrupt me when I am speaking to correct my manners. I can scratch my damn feet at the dinner table if I so choose. Oh wait... what dinner table? Oops.
9. There is no one that I have to serve hot meals to, who will jabber on until her food gets cold, then complain passive aggressively about the cold food.
10. I get to buy my own milk, good milk, milk that doesn't taste like it has gone bad the moment you open it.

This is the top ten. If I think of anything else, I'll add it.
Also, I think it's notable to mention that I am getting closer and closer to my 200th post, something that was on my Bucket List, a few posts back. Take a look if you don't remember, folks.

News... and Spam

So, spam is, for the most part, untraceable, correct? Sure it is! Not. I've been getting a lot of spam in my email as of late, and I've just been clicking the unsubscribe button. But today, I noticed something funny about my spam. It had another girl's name on it. Another girl that I happened to know. It started like this:

Dear L.
Thank you for signing up for a speeddate account...

Okay.... what the fuck. First of all, my name isn't L. Secondly, I know someone named L. who would have indirect reasons to spam me (she's friends with MZ and AK). But it cant possibly be her, can it? LB? NAH! So I click on the link to investigate further, see if whoever was a douchebag put a last name down. No, there wasn't a last name, so my suspicions weren't confirmed... right away. I then noticed that I had a profile picture. I looked at the picture, and what do you know! It was a previous profile picture of the same "friend" LB on facebook. So I called her on it. I cant wait to hear what her answer is. Dumbass. If you're going to spam someone's email, at least do it in such a way that it's untraceable.

In other news, I started my new job at Zales yesterday. Good stuff, except I don't know anything. Two teenage girls walked into the store last night, and one was like, "my mom's birthday is coming up, and I want to buy her a ring." So, the jewelry consultant in me was like, great, I know nothing about jewelry right now except that it sparkles and is pretty. What would be the first question I would ask if I was legit? "What's your price range?" Great question, JA, but you don't know ANYTHING about any of this jewelry. Luckily, she said she didn't know, so I told her I would let her look around, and if she had any questions, she could ask. She didn't and left the store shortly after. I fail at consulting. But I'll get better.

Less Unfortunate

So, last week was shit week.
This week is infinitely better.
I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders
Like all my prayers have been answered.
Not only do I have a place to live
(At least for a month),
But I also landed a job,
Selling jewels and beautiful things.
I'm moving in a week.
Quitting my shitty job.
AAS is moving in in a month and a half.
Exciting to be together,
Finally,
After almost two years of being apart.
The DA internship is going well,
I'm getting more and more cases every day.
Keeping busy,
Just the way I Like It.

Life is finally coming together,
Fitting all the pieces into the puzzle.
My motivation has returned.
My sense of self
My sense of accomplishment,
My sense of direction.
Things feel like they will be okay.

The Series of Unfortunate Events: My Life Edition

The one thing in the past week that hasn't sucked was the Nickelback concert, but I want to end this post on a happy note, so I'll save that bit for last.
So, the Nickelback concert was on Saturday, and when I went upstairs after dinner on Sunday, KS caught me and was like "J, we have some news for you." That's pretty much when I knew they had found someone to take my place working for MS. What she told me that the lady wanted to be moved in by the first of the month, and I realized that I only had two weeks to get a job and an apartment, that's when I panicked. So today I went job-hunting... and made quite possibly the dumbest mistake ever: I handed out resumes, and the last store I gave my resume to was the store that I realized the objective was the wrong objective. I had forgotten to proof-read it before I printed them out. And what, darlings, did that objective say, you may be asking yourselves. It said this: "To gain experience in the psychology field with victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and young victims, while learning about the court system." I kid you not. The lady looked at me and was like, "Your objective doesn't state that you want to go into sales," with that are-you-stupid tone of voice. I had seen it before she did, and felt like an idiot already, and told her that I printed out the wrong resume. I had given out nine other resumes. Epic. Fail.
So I go home, and change, and then go to check out a house, but the renters that I would be subletting with couldn't get into the house because her freshly cut keys wouldn't work. So I took the applications on good faith that it was pretty on the inside, and with the knowledge that it's in a nice neighborhood, and went on my way to see the next little studio apartment that I had a meeting for. I was there about 20 minutes early, so I found a comfortable tree to sit against, and ended up witnessing a crime! Yeah, some kid broke the glass of a car window and jumped in and stole something. I'm a good citizen, so I called the police and filed a report. I just feel bad for the people who the car belongs to. How are they going to pay for it? Oh well, guess that will teach them for parking on the street in a sketchy neighborhood.
Now, for the Nickelback concert. Two words: Fucking. Amazing. Sick Puppies opened for them, Shinedown followed Sick Puppies, and Breaking Benjamin came third. All of them were pretty good bands. Then Nickelback took the stage. OH. MY. GOD. AWESOME! They had this curtain up around their stuff that had the Dark Horse logo displayed on it. When they started playing, fireworks went off, and I thought someone was shooting at us! Then they dropped the curtain and started their set off with the most perfect song to start a set off with, Burn it to the Ground!

"Well it's midnight, damn right, we're wound up too tight
I've got a fist full of whiskey, the bottle just bit me
Oh
That shit makes me bat shit crazy
We've got no fear, no doubt, all in balls out

We're going off tonight
To kick out every light
Take anything we want
Drink everything in sight
We're going till the world stops turning
While we burn it to the ground tonight
Oh

We're screaming like demons, swinging from the ceiling
I got a fist full of fifties, tequila just hit me
Oh
We got no class, no taste, no shirt, and shit faced
We got it lined up, shot down, firing back straight crown

We're going off tonight
To kick out every light
Take anything we want
Drink everything in sight
We're going till the world stops turning
While we burn it to the ground tonight
Oh

Ticking like a time bomb, drinking till the nights gone
Well get you hands off of this glass, last call my ass
Well no chain, no lock, and this train won't stop
We got no fear, no doubt, all in balls out!"


Totally all in balls out that night! They had THE MOST AWESOME pyrotechnics, as well as great music! They played all my favorite songs, even songs from like, ten years ago! Seriously, one of THE MOST AMAZING CONCERT EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE! The best concert orgasm ever! Chad Kroeger was funny, telling jokes and stuff the whole time. Lighting was amazing, the band was giving away free beer and tequila to the people on the floor. It was simply AMAZING. More later.

Know How I Thought Everything Was Going So Great? Yeah.. Not So Much

Last time I updated you, I left you with my schedule up until next Wednesday, I think (end of finals). I took my driver's test, and failed on these grounds: I signaled when I started, but I guess she didn't catch that, because she marked me down on it. She marked me down for an unnecessary stop at a corner where there was no stop sign, which I thought was unfair because there was a vehicle parked that was impeding my vision, so I couldn't see a stop sign, if there was one there, and I was therefore being a defensive driver. Apparently I didn't pay enough attention when I turned, because she marked me down for observation. She marked me down for my lane use, in both observation and position. I checked over my shoulder every time I changed lanes, but apparently she didn't get that, and when I was going down a residential street, it wasn't marked as a two-lane street, but apparently it was, because I was driving in the middle of what I thought was a one-way street, doing exactly the same thing as the guy ahead of me. That bastard made me fail! Then she said I moved into the left hand turn lane too soon, which I think was bullshit, because I entered about a car length from when the yellow lines stopped. She said I took my corners too fast, and that I sucked at backing up. And to top it all off, she took me through fucking construction! I saw the flagger, and I had time to stop, but she warned me to stop before I had the opportunity, which was my automatic failure. Thanks bitch. Have a shitty day.
So that was my driver's test. Then came my birthday. I turned 21. The first part wasn't so bad. I went out with friends who are less than 21, and we had dinner, they sang to me at Red Robin, and it was fun. After that, I had made plans to meet up with people to go to the bar for my first time. No one showed up. I already knew I had no friends, but seriously? I'm offering to go drinking, and no one wants to take me up on that? My friend, H. told me that she was going to be late, but she never called. So I went to the bar anyway, and did the whole rite of passage first drink bit. By the time I was done, no one had shown up yet. So I paid my tab and left, feeling like crap. Just as I was leaving, my father calls. I told him no one showed up, and he was like, "Call your Uncle D. (Oldman)." I knew Uncle Oldman would love to have a drink with me, and two drinks in a half an hour told me it would be a good idea to call him at 10pm. Not so much. A), he had already had a few drinks, so he couldn't come in to Universitytown, and B) 10pm is late for him. He gets up early in the morning. My alcoholized self didn't think about this. But I told him what happened, and he was pissed that my friends didn't show up, and my mom tells me he was pissed that I went out by myself anyway. So he insisted that he call someone and have them pick me up and take me home. That someone turned out to be my cousin, DH. DH and I have nothing in common. And I felt bad for having to have him come and pick me up. I kept telling Oldman that I could get home by myself, and that if it made him feel better, I could call my boss and have her come and get me. He wouldn't have it. "Too many methheads around." Apparently he doesn't know about all those late nights that I spend at school. So yeah. That was a shitty night.
Yesterday was alright. I sat in the library all day working on a paper outline. Still haven't done the paper yet, but I'm preparing for a "Don't go out by yourself and drink" lecture for on the way to the concert. Mom says I was wrong to do it, because the bartender could have slipped me something. What she doesn't realize is that I watched the bartender make my drinks, and I watched my drinks once they were in front of me. I was fine.
Then there was yesterday. I went to look at an apartment, and got into a fight with AAS. Fun. Shit.

I know, I know. I told you guys and myself that I would post at least once a week, but at least I'm not that far behind. I just have a lot of big stuff happening! For instance, I'm going to look at an apartment today that's about a mile and a half from the school. I am scheduled to take my driver's test tomorrow in Stown! So excited, and not sure if I'm ready. My birthday is Thursday, I'm turning 21. I also have a paper due Thursday. I'm going to a concert on Saturday night to celebrate my birthday, and then I have a paper due on Monday, as well as a final exam on Monday morning. Following that, on Tuesday I have a paper due, and my last final is Wednesday morning. Then on Thursday, I start at my internship site (technically I've already started because I already have a case. But whatever. Technicalities, right?)
I'm stoked for the summer. AAS MOVES here in July, which is less than TWO MONTHS from now! I'm busy looking for a place for us to live, and hopefully the place I applied to will accept us, but as of right now, I'm still looking because I haven't heard from the landlords. I'm also looking for a new job. I had two interviews a couple weeks ago, and I'm supposed to hear back from both companies sometime soon, but I haven't yet, so I should get my ass back into applying for more jobs. I might be changing my schedule for next semester around a bit too. We'll see what happens. I supposed I gotta do what I gotta do to make ends meet, right?
Stuff is scary though, knowing that soon I will have to start paying about $200 dollars for an apartment, and that as of right now, I don't have the funds or the employment to do so. Well, I have papers to get to, but I'll probably just end up watching House. Go me.