...there's a Wind Chill Warning here in Massachusetts. As in, it's -30 degrees farenheit with the wind chill factored in, and expected to drop some more tonight.
...It's 75 degrees in Key West right now.
blerg... why do I live in Massachuesetts?
Monday, January 24, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Demise of A Newly Minted "Adult"
I made it 20 days into 2011 without going anywhere outside of the Mid-Atlantic states. I am moderately impressed by my restraint.
Unfortunately, this morning I was notified of ridiculously low airfare to Key West, and yielded to my weakness. So in a mere 40 days, Ill be headed to the gorgeous sundrenched Florida Keys to stay with the fabulous GC. It'll be a lovely 9 day excursion, and this time Im flying instead of driving (WOO!!).
Really, I did the math this morning. Last time I went, I split tolls, a hotel, and gas one-way with GC. The whole thing was about ~$275. For a mere $50 more, I will make it there in 6 hours, instead of 27. No stress, no traffic, no overwhelming urge to pass out at the wheel. Its a surprising fare, primarily because flying into Key West International Airport is notoriously expensive. Im talking upwards of $700 when I looked last for a trip in January back in October. With the exception of this fare, Ive only seen airfare to Key West at prices higher than a flight to Honolulu.
I am duly impressed, Delta Airlines/Orbitz. I tip my hat. You both must be desperate to whip up some business. Seriously, kudos, because it worked. I have been watching the Key West Six-toed Cat Cam ads all week prior to leaving for work in the morning; I have been bitterly complaining about the unfairness of it all. How cruel is it to show white sand, blue skies, and people in shorts and tanks and bathing suits when here at home it is grey, 19 degrees F, and theres a good 42" of snow that has fallen, with another 8-12" predicted? Ads like that should be outlawed as cruel and unusual punishment for those of us in the northern climes.
But I digress.
Like my title says, this signals the demise of my attempt at adulthood. My New Years Resolution of staying home and saving money has erroded at 20 days. I dont think I was really cut out for homeownership anyway. Its all for the best, really. :)
Unfortunately, this morning I was notified of ridiculously low airfare to Key West, and yielded to my weakness. So in a mere 40 days, Ill be headed to the gorgeous sundrenched Florida Keys to stay with the fabulous GC. It'll be a lovely 9 day excursion, and this time Im flying instead of driving (WOO!!).
Really, I did the math this morning. Last time I went, I split tolls, a hotel, and gas one-way with GC. The whole thing was about ~$275. For a mere $50 more, I will make it there in 6 hours, instead of 27. No stress, no traffic, no overwhelming urge to pass out at the wheel. Its a surprising fare, primarily because flying into Key West International Airport is notoriously expensive. Im talking upwards of $700 when I looked last for a trip in January back in October. With the exception of this fare, Ive only seen airfare to Key West at prices higher than a flight to Honolulu.
I am duly impressed, Delta Airlines/Orbitz. I tip my hat. You both must be desperate to whip up some business. Seriously, kudos, because it worked. I have been watching the Key West Six-toed Cat Cam ads all week prior to leaving for work in the morning; I have been bitterly complaining about the unfairness of it all. How cruel is it to show white sand, blue skies, and people in shorts and tanks and bathing suits when here at home it is grey, 19 degrees F, and theres a good 42" of snow that has fallen, with another 8-12" predicted? Ads like that should be outlawed as cruel and unusual punishment for those of us in the northern climes.
But I digress.
Like my title says, this signals the demise of my attempt at adulthood. My New Years Resolution of staying home and saving money has erroded at 20 days. I dont think I was really cut out for homeownership anyway. Its all for the best, really. :)
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Never Ending Week...
...continues. Its only Thursday (she whined, dispassionately flinging herself prostrate upon her work surface)!
I know... I had a whole nice long break before Christmas until the Monday following New Year off, and now Im whining because I'm at work. I am grateful to have a job (don't get me wrong--- really, REALLY grateful), but some weeks just seem to take forever to finish. This week happens to be one of them.
I think it's mostly because I am struggling so much with the whole adulthood thing. Swapping from Irresponsibile to Responsible has been waaay harder than expected. I knew it would be an adjustment, but good grief. This is particularly painful.
People continue to post photos to Facebook. I can't tell if they're taunting me specifically, because they have been informed of my Year of Austerity, or just sharing their respectively awesome trips. Either option is equally likely, especially since I spent all of last year doing the very same thing to them. My friend from college AWP is going to Vegas for a week. She announced this last night. I am going no where. I am heartbroken. It's like kicking a puppy, it seems. . . to me, at least.
So here I am. Stuggling to complete a workday Thursday. I have another hour and 5 minutes to go. Not that I am counting, of course. Wrestling with this particular package has been exceptionally difficult. I am truly grateful that we only get this material in once or twice a year.
I know... I had a whole nice long break before Christmas until the Monday following New Year off, and now Im whining because I'm at work. I am grateful to have a job (don't get me wrong--- really, REALLY grateful), but some weeks just seem to take forever to finish. This week happens to be one of them.
I think it's mostly because I am struggling so much with the whole adulthood thing. Swapping from Irresponsibile to Responsible has been waaay harder than expected. I knew it would be an adjustment, but good grief. This is particularly painful.
People continue to post photos to Facebook. I can't tell if they're taunting me specifically, because they have been informed of my Year of Austerity, or just sharing their respectively awesome trips. Either option is equally likely, especially since I spent all of last year doing the very same thing to them. My friend from college AWP is going to Vegas for a week. She announced this last night. I am going no where. I am heartbroken. It's like kicking a puppy, it seems. . . to me, at least.
So here I am. Stuggling to complete a workday Thursday. I have another hour and 5 minutes to go. Not that I am counting, of course. Wrestling with this particular package has been exceptionally difficult. I am truly grateful that we only get this material in once or twice a year.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Frustration Is Occurring, and It Hasnt Even Been 96 Hours
As you might have gathered from the title of this entry, I have become more than a little annoyed. I have been attempting to Be An Adult since 01 Jan.
"Be An Adult" is loosely defined as such:
1) Pay bills on time.
2) Not jet off on vacation because I can or feel like it
3) Find a place to live for more than 6 months
4) Be responsible
5) Do laundry more often so I dont end up buying new underwear to avoid washing the worn ones
As you might have deduced, my list basically entails me to act like a person, not an infant. I have to pay the piper for my Year of Irresponsibility.
I think I took too well to the irresponsibility part last year. I really, really do not want to be responsible.
Enter into evidence, Exhibit A:
An acquaintence mentioned on facebook that he's in Cancun.
My first reaction was, "I WANNA GO THERE!" and look at Orbitz for flights to Mexico.
But then, I remembered my resolution. I pouted, and closed the window before the search completed.
Crisis averted, right? Because I dont deal well with temptation.
No.
As it turns out, not so much.
Exhibit B:
AM asked me today to help her plan a family trip to Hawaii.
^!%#$%!!!! Seriously?! Arrgh! I did. I helped, and definitely had to hold myself back from booking all the things I suggested to her for myself.
IT HASNT EVEN BEEN 96 HOURS AND IM ALREADY DYING FROM BEING TIED DOWN.
If this is being an adult, I am going to suffocate before I make it a week!!
"Be An Adult" is loosely defined as such:
1) Pay bills on time.
2) Not jet off on vacation because I can or feel like it
3) Find a place to live for more than 6 months
4) Be responsible
5) Do laundry more often so I dont end up buying new underwear to avoid washing the worn ones
As you might have deduced, my list basically entails me to act like a person, not an infant. I have to pay the piper for my Year of Irresponsibility.
I think I took too well to the irresponsibility part last year. I really, really do not want to be responsible.
Enter into evidence, Exhibit A:
An acquaintence mentioned on facebook that he's in Cancun.
My first reaction was, "I WANNA GO THERE!" and look at Orbitz for flights to Mexico.
But then, I remembered my resolution. I pouted, and closed the window before the search completed.
Crisis averted, right? Because I dont deal well with temptation.
No.
As it turns out, not so much.
Exhibit B:
AM asked me today to help her plan a family trip to Hawaii.
^!%#$%!!!! Seriously?! Arrgh! I did. I helped, and definitely had to hold myself back from booking all the things I suggested to her for myself.
IT HASNT EVEN BEEN 96 HOURS AND IM ALREADY DYING FROM BEING TIED DOWN.
If this is being an adult, I am going to suffocate before I make it a week!!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Year of Austerity
I was thinking over the week-long break I was able to enjoy that last year was my Year of Irresponsibility. I resolved last year to have a huge amount of fun, do what I want, and deal with the consequences later. Having gone through the photos I accumulated over the course of 2010, I would say I did a pretty good job of that.
Now that its 2011, its time for me to change it up. This year is the Year of Austerity. I'm going to pay off my credit card, pay off at least one of my student loans, and pay my mom back the money she loaned me for my carpet deposit. It will definitely not be a year that is as memorable for its fun the way that 2010 was, but in the long run it will probably be good for me.
So, here are my goals for 2011:
1. Pay off credit card (wont take too long-- balance is less than 3gs)
2. Pay my mom back for the carpet deposit
3. Throw huge amounts of money at my student loans
4. Pay off my car loan
5. Find a new place to live
6. Play with my dogs
7. Have fun in New England instead of jetting off to somewhere exotic
So, this year I'm trying to be as responsible as possible.
...we'll see how long this lasts.
Now that its 2011, its time for me to change it up. This year is the Year of Austerity. I'm going to pay off my credit card, pay off at least one of my student loans, and pay my mom back the money she loaned me for my carpet deposit. It will definitely not be a year that is as memorable for its fun the way that 2010 was, but in the long run it will probably be good for me.
So, here are my goals for 2011:
1. Pay off credit card (wont take too long-- balance is less than 3gs)
2. Pay my mom back for the carpet deposit
3. Throw huge amounts of money at my student loans
4. Pay off my car loan
5. Find a new place to live
6. Play with my dogs
7. Have fun in New England instead of jetting off to somewhere exotic
So, this year I'm trying to be as responsible as possible.
...we'll see how long this lasts.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Climbing
As predicted, my aerial ballet class royally kicked my rear. I'm finally able to sneeze without wishing for death. Of course, me being me (read: retarded), I scheduled a second aerial ballet class.
It's tonight. I'm totally pumped to learn more climbs and more flips and rolls and such, but this is not a post about aerial ballet. This is a post about rock climbing.
Specifically, how hard it is when I'm no longer 18.
I'm almost ten years past 18 at this point, and while I would like to think I'm pretty well adjusted and much happier now than I was then, there is a point of contention to that statement. When I was 18, I swam 7.5 hours a day, lifted and ran every day. (Thank you, D-1 college athletics!) So, when I was 18, I was in significantly better shape than I am now. Im not in bad shape, I just can't bench press more than my body weight anymore. I'd be happy if I could bench press half my body weight right now, but that's a story for a different day.
I used to climb with some friends from the dorm I lived in temporarily when I was in college. One of them taught me to boulder, and the other taught me to climb on belay. We used to go maybe two or three times a month after freshman year, so it wasn't ever like I did it on a really regular basis. Both friends have sinced moved to remote and exotic locations like the Moab Desert, and Milwaukee. (Seriously.) I have remained in the area, and stopped climbing for a number of years.
I picked up bouldering again two years ago. Again, not a lot of consistency in my practice, but I would go and have fun, and enjoy myself.
Apparently, gravity is stronger now than it was when I was 18. I can't climb for the life of me anymore; its really disappointing and disheartening. I like going so much, but its really hard to struggle with something that used to be so easy (due to all the swimming and freak upperbody strength).
Two recently acquired friends are really into it. Like, reallyinto it, and I accompanied them last week after my top rope refresher course (there was a method to it, I swear) to a rock gym I don't usually frequent. After some seriously disorienting news, I tried climbing. I was unsuccessful. I tried again. More failure. Blerg. I watched them scamper up the walls with a good deal of ease. I kept reminding myself that they'd been climbing a lot more often and a lot more consistently than I had. Still hard. Argh.
So I kept at it, gritted my teeth and kept trying. I discovered that I really loathethe automatic belayer that gym has. Doesn't catch quite quick enough for me to not feel like I'm plunging to impending death. I'm sure that gripping the holds will get easier, as it always does with practice, but until then, I am less than thrilled with the idea of returning. It's very intimidating to go into a place with a bunch of really well-skilled climbers; it's really obvious that you're new. Painfully, if you will. Also useful? Some climbing flats would be nice. Maybe for my birthday. Until then, sneakers or rentals will have to do.
Anyway, I had a good deal of fun with the aerial ballet of last week even if it did make me wish for immediate death when I sneezed, and not so much fun with the climbing. Oh well. I'll keep going because I know that I will make progress. Slow, painful, skin-ripping progres...
It's tonight. I'm totally pumped to learn more climbs and more flips and rolls and such, but this is not a post about aerial ballet. This is a post about rock climbing.
Specifically, how hard it is when I'm no longer 18.
I'm almost ten years past 18 at this point, and while I would like to think I'm pretty well adjusted and much happier now than I was then, there is a point of contention to that statement. When I was 18, I swam 7.5 hours a day, lifted and ran every day. (Thank you, D-1 college athletics!) So, when I was 18, I was in significantly better shape than I am now. Im not in bad shape, I just can't bench press more than my body weight anymore. I'd be happy if I could bench press half my body weight right now, but that's a story for a different day.
I used to climb with some friends from the dorm I lived in temporarily when I was in college. One of them taught me to boulder, and the other taught me to climb on belay. We used to go maybe two or three times a month after freshman year, so it wasn't ever like I did it on a really regular basis. Both friends have sinced moved to remote and exotic locations like the Moab Desert, and Milwaukee. (Seriously.) I have remained in the area, and stopped climbing for a number of years.
I picked up bouldering again two years ago. Again, not a lot of consistency in my practice, but I would go and have fun, and enjoy myself.
Apparently, gravity is stronger now than it was when I was 18. I can't climb for the life of me anymore; its really disappointing and disheartening. I like going so much, but its really hard to struggle with something that used to be so easy (due to all the swimming and freak upperbody strength).
Two recently acquired friends are really into it. Like, reallyinto it, and I accompanied them last week after my top rope refresher course (there was a method to it, I swear) to a rock gym I don't usually frequent. After some seriously disorienting news, I tried climbing. I was unsuccessful. I tried again. More failure. Blerg. I watched them scamper up the walls with a good deal of ease. I kept reminding myself that they'd been climbing a lot more often and a lot more consistently than I had. Still hard. Argh.
So I kept at it, gritted my teeth and kept trying. I discovered that I really loathethe automatic belayer that gym has. Doesn't catch quite quick enough for me to not feel like I'm plunging to impending death. I'm sure that gripping the holds will get easier, as it always does with practice, but until then, I am less than thrilled with the idea of returning. It's very intimidating to go into a place with a bunch of really well-skilled climbers; it's really obvious that you're new. Painfully, if you will. Also useful? Some climbing flats would be nice. Maybe for my birthday. Until then, sneakers or rentals will have to do.
Anyway, I had a good deal of fun with the aerial ballet of last week even if it did make me wish for immediate death when I sneezed, and not so much fun with the climbing. Oh well. I'll keep going because I know that I will make progress. Slow, painful, skin-ripping progres...
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday
Last night was a great night.
I went to visit JD, who had a long and disappointing week. After interviewing for a job three times over the course of two months, she was informed with a form letter that she was not offered a job. Her mood was quite south of jolly. Me? I was all disoriented from a couple of out-of-nowhere revelations about family and friends, so I wasn't entirely myself, either. So, I brought over a big bottle of wine and we ordered a white pizza from the place around the corner from her apartment. We watched a bunch of wierd movies and had some good laughs and deep conversations-- one of which was waaay too intellectual for a drunken midnight.
Sleeping in was nice, too-- I hadn't done that in quite some time. We grabbed some brunch at a local place, and then took a nice stroll through the neighborhood. I found a jar of local honey, and it was delicious! We even gave directions to some lost person; I hope they were right...
Anyway, by the time I left at noon, I was feeling happier, and I think JD was too. Sometimes you just need a good night with some friends to lift your spirits. Having been friends since we were 14, I think that just the company can be comforting. It's nice, almost like having another sister. You don't need to say anything, but you just know you're with someone who gets it, whatever it might be.
I went to visit JD, who had a long and disappointing week. After interviewing for a job three times over the course of two months, she was informed with a form letter that she was not offered a job. Her mood was quite south of jolly. Me? I was all disoriented from a couple of out-of-nowhere revelations about family and friends, so I wasn't entirely myself, either. So, I brought over a big bottle of wine and we ordered a white pizza from the place around the corner from her apartment. We watched a bunch of wierd movies and had some good laughs and deep conversations-- one of which was waaay too intellectual for a drunken midnight.
Sleeping in was nice, too-- I hadn't done that in quite some time. We grabbed some brunch at a local place, and then took a nice stroll through the neighborhood. I found a jar of local honey, and it was delicious! We even gave directions to some lost person; I hope they were right...
Anyway, by the time I left at noon, I was feeling happier, and I think JD was too. Sometimes you just need a good night with some friends to lift your spirits. Having been friends since we were 14, I think that just the company can be comforting. It's nice, almost like having another sister. You don't need to say anything, but you just know you're with someone who gets it, whatever it might be.
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