Money Money Money

$385 spent on housewares so far, about $200 to go (including starting groceries). Just dropped $340 on books for ONE semester. It makes me sick to spend so much money all at once. Cancers are notoriously stingy, and I am a textbook Crab. I have a huge headache from trying to decode the crazy textbook abbreviations and editions and packages, plus deciding which websites had the best price on each book. I would have spent about $550 if I had bought everything new. What a crock.

At least I'll make up about 2/3 of what I've spent by working the next two weeks as much as possible. I got a $1 raise so I'm making $11 an hour now. That will help a little, although so much of it will be taken away through taxes. I hate money.

Where My Obnoxiously Long Email Address Comes From

who knows if the moon's
a balloon, coming out of a keen city
in the sky--filled with pretty people?
(and if you and i should

get into it, if they
should take me and take you into their balloon,
why then
we'd go up higher with all the pretty people

than houses and steeples and clouds:
go sailing
away and away sailing into a keen
city which nobody's ever visited, where

always
it's
Spring) and everyone's
in love and flowers pick themselves

"The primary desire of the Protector ISFJ is to be of service to others, but here "service" means not so much furnishing others with the necessities of life, as guarding others against life's pitfalls and perils, that is, seeing to their safety and security."

-www.Keirsey.com

Going For The Gold

I was really excited for the Olympics for so long, then kind of dropped the ball by not catching the opening ceremonies. I thought maybe I had just gotten caught up in the hype and didn't care enough after all. However, after tuning in from 5 to 11 last night, I am hooked. I love beach volleyball & swimming & gymnastics - both men's and women's. I forgot how thrilling and suspenseful and competitive the games are! I'm bummed I missed the US v China basketball game because I was at work.

I love the Olympics! I'm jealous of these people that have freakish athletic skills while I can barely walk anywhere without tripping over something.

The Goods Pt. 2

Acquired @ Ikea today:

- Bed skirt
- Mesh curtain for closet
- 79" curtain rod
- Chandelier
- Floor lamp with reading lamp
- Lightbulbs
- 100 tea lights
- 24 tea light holders
- LACK bookshelf (white)
- Trash can
- 3 shelf letter organizer
- 18 piece dish set
- 2 bowls
- Bookends
- Cute lil' fake flower sprig
- 6 shelf hanging closet organizer

Almost worth all I spent.... Dang it. Maybe I'll return some stuff if I come to my senses.

The Goods

Kitchen Supplies Acquired Today:

Baking:
- 3-pack 9x13, 8x11, and 6x9 glass baking dishes
- Airbake cookie sheet
- 2 muffin tins
- 3 tier wire cooling rack
- 3 pie tins (via Mom)
- 2 8" cake pans (via Mom)
- Bundt ring (via Mom)
- Standing mixer (via Mom)
- Splatter screen (via Mom)

Cooking:
- 12" deep skillet
- 10" skillet (robin's egg blue)
- 8" skillet (via Mom)
- Griddle (via Mom)

Gadgets:
- Silicone whisk (red)
- Mini Santoku knife (orange)
- 8" bread knife
- 8" chef's knife
- small paring knives (via Mom)
- Measuring cups (yellow)
- Silicone spatula with bamboo handle (yellow)
- 5 piece bamboo tool set
- Meat thermometer
- Ice cream scoop (orange)
- Frosting spatula (via Mom)
- 4 piece poly spoon set
- 2 silicone turners

Tableware:
- 4 cobalt side plates
- 4 cobalt bowls
- Cobalt pattern side plate
- Yellow and blue side plate
- Black and white scroll dinner plate
- 2 yellow petal bowls

Other:
- 4 piece canister set (via Mom)
- 3 plastic scoops for canister set (via Mom)
- small cutting board (green)
- Medium nonslip cutting board
- Large cutting board (blue)

= Kitchen geek. At least I spent less than $200. Still gotta get some saucepans & hit up Ikea and Storables for bedroom stuff :) I can't wait to do wedding registry when I'm engaged.

!!!!

I was just complaining to Aaron earlier about how none of my favorite bands come here, only to check Pollstar just now and see that Minus The Bear is coming October 15th and Portugal. The Man is playing November 9th, both at the Varsity. I don't work either day at either job, and it's going to be so easy for me to get there. I think I might have peed a little when I found out. Not really, of course. All I need is for As Tall As Lions to announce a date.

Personal Bill of Rights

1. I have the right to ask for what I want.
2. I have the right to say no to requests or demands I can't meet.
3. I have the right to express all of my feelings, positive or negative.
4. I have the right to change my mind.
5. I have the right to make mistakes and not have to be perfect.
6. I have the right to follow my own values and standards.
7. I have the right to say no to anything when I feel I am not ready, it is unsafe, or it violates my values.
8. I have the right to determine my own priorities.
9. I have the right not to be responsible for others' behavior, actions, feelings, or problems.
10. I have the right to expect honesty from others.
11. I have the right to be angry at someone I love.
12. I have the right to be uniquely myself.
13. I have the right to feel scared and say "I'm afraid."
14. I have the right to say "I don't know."
15. I have the right not to make excuses or reasons for my behavior.
16. I have the right to make decisions based on my feelings.
17. I have the right to my own needs for personal space and time.
18. I have the right to be playful and frivolous.
19. I have the right to be healthier than those around me.
20. I have the right to be in a nonabusive environment.
21. I have the right to make friends and be comfortable around people.
22. I have the right to change and grow.
23. I have the right to have my needs and wants respected by others.
24. I have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
25. I have the right to be happy.

Matt Pryor & Chris Conley

I barely blog anymore! I just don't have the time I used to have anymore. Yes, a lot of my free time is spent taking naps, but I need those naps. Work exhausts me, especially after not getting enough sleep every night.

I was lucky enough to get a visit from Aaron for a day and a half :) We shopped for his bed frame and linens at Ikea, played Wii, watched Elizabethtown & Dexter, went to Chipotle of course, and went to Chris Conley & Matt Pryor at the Triple Rock last night.

It was a beyond magical. Chris' voice was stellar. I wished I had my iRiver last night because it has a voice recorder and I would have loved to capture the whole set. I couldn't stop smiling; that's when I know I'm enjoying every second of a performance. I rarely show emotion or get excited during a show, but that performance was a top 5, if not 3, for me. Matt Pryor came out on fire, singing to his fullest potential. His voice has smoothed out so much since the first Get Up Kids recordings, and I can tolerate/actually like it now. Since it was the first show of the tour, the crowd got to decide the atmosphere. People were shouting out requests and the two of them were only happy to oblige (when they could remember how the old songs went!). Pryor encored with "I'll Catch You" and I got a little choked up since that song has so much meaning for me and I wasn't expecting it at all. Conley & Pryor played "Imagine" together at the end of the show and everyone loved it, including them. I wouldn't have gone to the show on my own, but I am so happy I went.

crAAAzy

Tomorrow is my 13th and last day of work in a row!! As a reward, I'm going to buy these banana split oreos I've been drooling over for the past 2 weeks :) I can't wait for Monday, my day off. I'm going to stay up late Sunday night, then sleep in as late as I want. I'm going to play Wii, make some sort of dessert, read, and watch Dexter. Probably do some working out, too, since I've been too busy lately to do any skiing or aerobics.

I gave in and bought Breaking Dawn today when I was shopping at Wal-Mart. I'm a third of the way through and I've been reading on and off for half the day. Shit's intense. It bums me out that this is the last book of the series, but series always have to end. I can't wait for the movie, though.

I went to the best baseball game of all time on Thursday with Aaron and his brother Andrew and Andrew's friend Matt. Twins vs White Sox. So many big plays were made, so many intense fans, so much drama! Aaron and I wore our matching hats and Mauer tees. I think we'll do the Flex 40 ticket package next season so we can catch a lot of games over the summer. I really like baseball now :) I listen to KFAN every weekday when John & I drive to and from Shakopee for work. I enjoy learning about something I know so little about. I'm becoming an expert on this Brett Favre drama. I will spit on him if he joins the Vikings, just putting it out there. I hate him.

I went to my condo tonight for a mini roommate meeting, and also to see the almost-finished project and measure my room so I can plan stuff out. It looks fantastic! I'm super excited again to live there. I just wish we could move in early so it wouldn't be so hectic trying to get everything settled the day before classes start. A lot of people are in my boat, though, unfortunately.

Anyway, time to shower and spend the rest of my short evening reading more of Breaking Dawn. I can only hope the book doesn't get more intense so I'm not up until 4 am soaking it all in.