Moving. This is the last Blogger blog entry for me - they will no longer support FTP here in a few weeks, and I don't want to mess with their new system. You can find my new blog (inlcuding all of this content!) at http://lydaalexander.com/wordpress/.
New stuff New stuff here... we got new desks to replace the old ones the movers broke... and we got new lamps to replace the one the movers broke... theoretically, today, we hsould get a check from the movers to cover the stuff we already bought and the dryer and big bookcase.
And we have a dog. At least for now. We're fostering a dog for a local animal rescue. We went to look at dogs at Petco, and they had this one... Her name is Cookie. She has been living in a cage for months, and really needed a place to run around and play. When they brought her in, they couldn't place her with a foster family because she was pregnant. So they had to keep her crated somewhere... She had puppies a couple of months ago, and they've been weaned and are being adopted out, but she still needed a home. We agreed to take her for a couple of weeks, at least (although, I don't know if we are going to want to let her go after that). She's really smart, and she's warming up to us now that she knows we're not caging her up somewhere.
*Happy Dancing* For several reasons. One, I got a second onsite interview with the company I interviewed with on Monday. And completed a second phone interview with another company.
Two, we live in a house, not an apartment, so I can listen to angsty girl music much louder before the neighbors hear (I think all our neighbors work, too... since we don't own this house our names didn't get added to the "new faces in the neighborhood" section of the homeowners newsletter, I guess they don't have to talk to us or something).
Three, the moving company is paying for the stuff they broke (theoretically, anyway), and we should be able to like, set up the office, and wash clothes and stuff, in a couple of weeks.
But right now, I'm going to go pick up my dry cleaning, and maybe go look for a black blazer at the mall (Kohls didn't have any in my size).
Moving 5ux0r5 So we made it back from Reno... did a quick tour of 5 states in a little more than 24 hours (Nevada, Texas (DFW), Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas (Houston)). We made it here 30 minutes before the movers showed up.
All of our stuff was delivered... a great deal of it in much worse shape than it left our apartment. One bookcase was scratched, chipped, and had a screw thingy yanked out of it... the little bookcase arrived without any shelf bracket thingys, so we can't put the shelves in it and can't put the books away. The dryer is crushed in, the washing machine dented, the entertainment senter destroyed. Other random things are broken... And we have to file claims for all of this. Yay.
Other than that, things are good. We bought a really expensive bed, which is so awesome it's not even funny... this is the first morning in forever I haven't woke up with a sore back. And we bought some other stuff, for the new house, including a really big ass TV. But we're out of money, so no new buying things until I get a paycheck (which requires me getting a job). I also bought really expensive dress shoes for interviews and work... Rockports. I hope they are worth what I paid for them.
Speaking of shoes. I had the worst time trying to buy shoes today. Apparently, I don't look like the type of person who buys expensive shoes from like, department stores. I couldn't get anyone in the shoe department at Foleys or Sears to give me the time of day, and the perosn I did get to talk to me at Naturalizer informed me that they had nothing I wanted to buy, and nothing in my size (I'm an 8. Common size. Really.). Finally, I went to the Rockport store and got someone to help me. Why is it I have to fight for customer service? I htink when I go out to buy my work wardrobe, I will have to dress up first so I look the part.
Back to the moving thing. We're slowly unpacking and sorting stuff down. It's going to take a while. We have no cable (it comes on Wednesday), and no internet (I'm leeching off a neighbor's wireless network). Our washer and dryer aren't hooked up yet, and we don't even know if my car has made it to texas yet.
So besides tomorrow, when I'll be at an interview, I'll be home most of the rest of the week, unpacking and cleaning and waiting on htings to get here / get hooked up / etc. Feel free to call, if you have my new number. Or call my old number, and I'll call you back from the new one. or whatever.
Anyway, I'm going to bed. I have to get up ungodly early to drive through traffic.
So currently I am in Reno, NV. Paying $11 a day for internet, in a hotel that is more like a city unto itself (Reno Hilton). There is a shopping mall, a 50-lane bowling ally, a huge arcade, a casino, like, 10 resturants, and a bunch ofother stuff I can't think of at the moment. We were planning to leave on the 12th in the morning, but it turns out that Chad's actually supposed to present his paper after we would have left, so we had to move our plane tickets to the 13th, and since it takes all day to get back and we have to change two time zones... it will be like, 4pm on Friday before we get back. To memphis.
More crazyness... We have to go through Starkville on our way to Houston, as the movers left a bunch of crap that we need to transport. So... we're looking at 11 hours in the car, plus time to finish packing the car and stop and eat and stuff (Willer Lite: I'll call you and let you know when we will be in Starkville, and we can eat then so we'll have time to see you). And they are supposed to deliver our stuff in Houston on the 14th, Chad is on the phone right now for them to bargin for a deliver time of 10am instead of 8am (!), so we know we'll actually be in Houston by then. If the movers move the bed in first, I swear we'll both just go to sleep.
And I got a call from my mother early yesterday... at 6am, while opening the Governors drive McDonalds, my brother was robbed *at gunpoint*. Some guy in a mask came into the store with a gun, put it to my brothers head, and told him to open the safe. Robbie did what he was told, and the guy left. No one was hurt, but my bother was pretty shoken up. The police came, but they probably will never catch this guy. My bother is trying desparately to find a new job.
My car may still go to the wrong city... the car mover swear it's going to Friendswood, but hte tag they put on it says Markham, TX.
I have a job interview on the 16th, Chad's first day of work. Cross your fingers... I also still have to finish my app to Rice. Today, I guess, since we paid for internet today. (it's due the 15th).
Blah. If you don't hear from me in the next couple of days it becasue I stopped paying for internet.
Done! I'm done. I finished my last project report. As soon as my other team member gets here and we turn this stuff in, I'll have no other academic requirements to meet.
I went and picked up my cap and gown this morning. It's all weird... Master's robes are so different. It's got long hangy-down sleeves, and the weird hoodie thing. I think it's funny.
So this whole graduating thing. It's kinda scary. Like... I don't know. Everyone has been asking me for months if I'm excited to be graduating and moving to Texas. And I have been like, well, I guess... it's just something you do. You finish with what you're doing in one place, and then you move. We're done in Starkville, guess it's time to go somewhere else. But now... I guess it really hit me this week. I'm not a college student. I'm a grown-up. Or at least... I'm supposed to be? When did I get issued my grown-up card? Who exactly checked my credentials for grown-up-ness? I'm not even old enough to rent a car... who thought it was a good idea to give me a Masters degree and let me move like, a quarter of the way across the country?
I guess I've just gotten really comfortable here. I mean, Starkville has been more "home" than Huntsville for a long time now... as much as I complain about it while I'm here, it's a little scary to leave. I'll be far enough from home, that I'll have to plan way ahead to make it home for important events like Mandie's graduation... I'm sure my parents will *never* make it out to Texas (until I provide them a grandchild as incentive, anyway). It's kind of odd.
Not that I'm not looking forward to it. Living in a "real" city with malls and restraunts and museums is going to be awesome. And unlike the last time I lived in a huge metro area (St. Louis), we will not be in the ghetto. Far from it, actually. Houston has so many advantages... I'm looking forward to doing things I never get to do here while I'm in school...
I don't know. I've moved prety often all my life... so the moving thing is ok. I guess it's the not-being-here-after-I-move thing that bothers me :-)
Chad and I finally got our Thanksgiving planning done a couple weeks ago. Now we're trying to get the Christmas planning done... which is amazingly complicated. And made more amazingly complicated by the fact that we have to move at some point during the holidays. And we have to at least start looking for a place to live. And Chad has to be here for some finite amount of time to prepare a conference paper.
Crazy.
So the plans, thus far, look like this: For Christmas, we will be in Huntsville for a couple of days either before or after Christmas, no idea which. And we'll be in Memphis for a couple of days including Christmas day and Christmas Eve night. We'll be in Houston probably right after graduation, for like, two days. And we'll officially leave for Houston... sometime. Maybe before or after Chad's conference thingy, but I'm not (exactly) sure when that is.
We'l be in Starkville this coming weekend, and Memphis (for a ball game) the next weekend... Then Thankgiving, which I'm not even going to talk about.
I'm tired. But life is pretty good right now... guess it evens out.
So Chad's taking the job in Houston (in case there's like, anyone left who hasn't heard). We move to Houston officially in January (right after the new year). Yay! Having a job means we'll have money ... not that we're going to buy a bunch of stuff with it, in theory. it'll just be nice to know we aren't broke, and be able to actually start some kind of retirement or something. Or buy me a new Shelby Mustang. Or something like that. ;-)
So yeah. We'll have insurance, too. Yay!
Not sure what I'm going to do when we get out there. My choices look something like htis at the moment: go back to school for a PhD in CS; go back to school for a MS/PhD in Psychology; get a job teaching; get a job programming; or take up watching soap operas and eating bonbons.
We get to go out to Houston and look for a house at some point... I think in October. not sure if we're buying or renting yet... so many decisions.
Alanis is awesome. Just in case you wondered.
School is great this semester, although I have a huge amount of work to do. I htink graduating should be less work than the rest of school, but it's not. I still have to schedule my comps and stuff, so they'll give me my dimploma. *sigh*
Anyway. I might be called to go and socialize here in a few minutes... when the vampires are done vampiring. although my socializing will probably be cut short, as everyone here will be drinking, and I don't know enough people in the group to really feel like drinking. That, and I'm dead tired. one drink would put me out like a light ;-)
Hopefully, this will publish, and I'll be able to post again soon.
Internet is on in the new apaprtment... I guess that means we're officially moved in (although you wouldn't believe that if you saw the place at the moment... boxes and bags everywhere). Fun stuff.
School started today, but not really for me. I start tomorrow.
And that is all the interesting news. Starkville is incredibly dead during the summer.
Yeah, so we're mostly moved now. Long, stupid story. Very frustrating. Involves two sets of asshole landlords. So yeah.
But the new place looks kinda nice, after we got our stuff in it. Haven't tried the dishwasher (they swear it no longer will leak all over the floor)... but the stove and oven seem to work (as in, they come on when I turn the knob, and turn off when I turn the knob the other way)... the fridge is still up for debate.
The washing machine and dryer (that we bought) work very nicely.
The new place will take some getting used to... but I think I like it. We should finish the moving and the shaking tomorrow, rest and finish organizing on Tuesday, and go to school on Wednesday. Yay!
Found out last night my internship isn't going to happen. Which is good (more time), and bad (less money, stay at home, don't get to work with the NE team). I might have to find another job.... but I don't know what I would find for short term on this short a notice... maybe Huntsville Hospital needs a short term computer person? Lookig into Space Camp, not sure that will work on such a short time line, though.
Anyway. Not so much new here. Passing everything, at the moment. Which is good. Failing is bad... graduation is good... moving is annoying... getting married is good... wedding planning is complicated... grad school is good...
Oh well. I will go on Blogging as if the publish thing was working. I think Krys and Manda are down, as my Shout Outs aren't working, and I can't access Manda's Blog. On the other hand, they can't be totally down, as we are hosted through them.
So. Yay. I'm at work. And I have lots of work to do, but i can't do any of it, because the server is down. Until NASA decides we aren't too much of a security risk. Fun.
And I'm going ot have to pack like a mad woman for the next two days... then take Thursday off... then pack some more on Friday so I can go back to school. Packing, by the way, is not my idea of a fun thing to do with my evenings. On the other hand, I think i have almost everything I need to go to school. Yay for me! I just need to pull it all together. I have most of my food packed... so tonight I'll prolly start on packing my books and stuff. And my KitchenAid mixer. *grin*
Cleaning out my desk.... it's kind of odd, I have like, three summers worth of crap in here. But that's cool, too, in that a lot of it I had forgotten about. Some of it is even stuff that goes home with me... posters, lithos, the 508 notes that I got from Karen... it's interesting.
This is my brain..... in part, at least.
