spic n' span

After the whirlwind that was the end of the quarter/ beginning of the month for me, there were many things left to be tidied. I have occupied a sufficient amount of time with couch sitting and channel surfing. My cousin will be in town this weekend for a wedding, so I decided that today was probably a pretty good day to pick up around the house. (I have a bag of charcoal sitting next to my bed. that seems a little ridiculous to me.)

Anyway, my first order of business was to tackle the shoe closet. No, it is not a closet comprised solely of shoes. No pun intended. Yes, it is a closet comprised mostly of shoes. I got a new shoe rack to accommodate my shoe overflow issues. Note that I did not scale back on shoes nor did I stop purchasing them. The shoe rack has been sitting in the hallway waiting to be put in its new home. I put it in the closet, put the mess of shoes onto it, and now the closet is way less of a scary shoe monster.
However, while I was cleaning I picked up a bead and began to think to myself, "gee wiz, that sure is a funny place to find a bead." Then after closer inspection my thoughts quickly switched to, "What the F#@%? Why the hell is there a tooth in my closet?!?" Who's tooth is it and how did it get there?

Truth be told, it could be one of mine. I have a collection of most of the teeth I've had ripped out of my face in my lifetime. I keep saying that one day I'll make jewelry out of them. Incidentally, it's been awhile since I've seen that little tin o' teeth. Hopefully, the cats haven't opened it and swallowed any. That would make me sad a little.

a gift for we!

earlier this today, i signed up for owl and acorn's pay it forward exchange. the idea is that she sends me, and two others, something in the next year, and in return, i pay it forward by doing the same. so here's the game:



“The idea of the exchange is I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on this blog post requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”

so...anyone up for it? due to recent stress on my pocketbook, i'm going to limit this to u.s. people only. first three who speak up will get something fun from me!

the day that refused to end...

...gave way to the day apprehensive to begin.
I heard through the grapevine, because i never actually look into the weather myself, that yesterday was going to be a wonderful day during a period in seattle when the wonderful days are becoming fewer and further between. So, instead of a planned jog, i proposed a bike ride. this will prove to be my undoing one day. don't get me wrong: i love me bike

see?! she's cute
However, a jog would have consisted of 3 miles. the bike rides consisted of 30+. i was sore and tired, but came home with a bunch of cute patterns, that no one gets to see until AFTER the holidays!! Bits and I tried to get Emms to hit on a couple of hot biker boys to join our peloton, but it was to no avail. boys, even the cutest ones can be oh so lame-o. also, why do biker boys have the nicest butts?
I digress. Anyway, I came home feeling everything mentioned above, but could not fall asleep. LAME! it was so beyond me. midnight came around and i finally fell into slumbers. THEN, 4am rolled around and i hear a woman screaming, "get away from me. leave me alone!" I wasn't completely in my head. so, i just laid there. then when i came to my senses, all i could think was that: "damn! i'm 'that' person." just then i heard her yelling and coming closer. I sat up in my bed and saw her run by, still screaming: "get away from me. leave me alone!" She looked like she was in a lot of trouble, but no one was following her. Shortly after I heard a siren for her and i was off the hook. Needless to say, we 6am reared its ugly head, I was not ready to get up.
I was not ready for a day of meetings of getting an IUD.
the rest of this story is...
...to be continued...

my life as a soap opera

This is the drama that I have had to deal with for the last month in the form of email conversations. Names have been changed to protect the identity of the involved parties, no matter how not worth it they may be.

Manic Hispanic says:
sluggo:
we need to discuss a couple things regarding your move out date. do you know when it is? i will be out of town aug 16-sept 1. i foresee that i will not be in town when you leave.
my tentative plan is to give slim jeans my keys so she can begin moving in once you begin vacating and check on the cats food supply. this all depends on what works best for you. would you like slim jeans to begin checking on the cats before or after you move out? i've assumed it's ok for her to begin some light moving before you're officially out. is this actually ok? or is it not?
also, mr. rental man in planning on dropping off the lease for slim jeans and myself to sign. your signature is not required. if you could leave that on the coffee table or my laptop (or any other place that is visible) that would be great.
last thing, i'm dog sitting for a woman in shoreline which is why i've only been passing through in the AM to feed and water the cats and to scoop poop.

Sluggo says: I'll be leaving around the 23rd-25th. SJ is more than welcome to start moving her stuff in early as long as she pays me $200 for her half of the security deposit and you pay me $250 for your half of the pet deposit. She doesn't need to take care of the cats until I leave,
I can take care of them. But you should give me her phone number so
we can communicate while you're out of town. And I haven't yet seen
the lease in case you were looking for it.

MH: I'll pass this on to SJ.
As far as the $250 goes, I will not be able to pay you until I get my financial aid money. School starts Sept 26. So, I would imagine it will be in my bank account by the 17th. It may be earlier, but I can't imagine it will come later. So, you will need to leave a forwarding address for me to mail a cashier's check or pay pal account information. Sorry if this is inconvenient. However, it is the only way you will actually get the money, as opposed to a bouncing check.

S:
Hey manic hisanic-

I'd really like to have SJ's phone number or email address before
you leave town so her I and I can communicate in your absence.

MH: SJ did not say it was ok for me to give out her contact information, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

What i figure will work best, is if you call or text me when you are officially out, leave the keys on the kitchen table or in the basket on the coffee table, and i will let SJ know that the apartment is ready to move into. She will have my keys to get in and out of the building. So, you don't need to worry about coordinating that.

If there is anything that comes up that is imperative for you communicate to her, it can be relayed through me. (i.e. cat issues, etc...)n>

S: Hey. I can't move out until September 12. I hope that's okay.

MH: that is actually NOT ok. 5 days is not enough notice to change plans so drastically. SJ and i are signing the lease to begin on Sept 1st. Devon told her current roommates that she would be out by Sept 1st. Your room is SJ's and SJ's room is someone else's on Sept 1st. this was all based on you communicating that you would be out by the 25th. SJ has a rental truck scheduled for the 25th. If you stay behind, you will need to reimburse her for costs incurred in the duration.
in short, this is not going to work and you need to figure out something else.


this next response was written as an addendum to the previous.

MH: Alright, SJ and i spoke to the leasing office.
It is our hope that you can be out by the 1st. However, we can be a bit flexible.
If you stay through the 12th, you are responsible for your entire share of September's rent. SJ is neither obligated nor interested in splitting this with you. this was verbally confirmed when SJ went in to discuss the technicalities of the lease and the possible impact of your refusal to vacate.
Also, she will need to move her stuff into that bedroom on September 1st. So, you will need to have your things out of there by that date. In addition, you will need to relinquish your keys to SJ or myself on the 1st of September. Since you are encroaching upon a verbal contract, we shall not attempt to work around your schedule.
Another thing to note, you would typically need to pay a $250.00 fee for vacating the apartment early. We were not previously considering deducting this from your deposit, but are seriously considering it at this time.
Ultimately, you need to do what you need to do. It is not our wish for you to be homeless for two weeks. However, there are various monetary repercussions that are within our legal right to exhaust should you choose to stay.


S: Well I was kinda counting on the $450 you and her owe me and I can't
afford to drive down without it so I need to work for another
paycheck. I'm still on the lease until Sept. 1st so SJ shouldn't
have rented a truck for the 25th. If you want me to leave as
scheduled I'm gonna need that money.


MH: The way it is going to work is that you will get your money if you leave as scheduled. The longer you stay, the deeper the hole you dig. Much like if you were vacating at the proper time, you can't count on getting paid in advance. Something you should have considered is that you need to leave the former lessor with a forwarding address. A landlord is not going to take it on good faith that you deserve your security deposit in full. This is especially true because you are breaking a legally binding contract. The are monetary consequences for breaking contracts in all areas of life. I find it hard to believe that you did not consider this in your decision to move. Incidentally, money was not an issue when we all thought you would vacate without a hitch. SJ and I both believed we were being gracious to pay you money when typically you would lose money. We have now decided that the more burdensome you make this, the less money you will receive. Don't take for granted that a lease is a business transaction and the old adage holds true: time is money. You are not owed or entitled anything until you fulfill your end of the bargain. So just do what it takes to be out by the 31st, so SJ can move in on the 1st. Besides, if you need the $450.00 so badly, I don't know why you would want to incur an additional month's rent along with accompanying expenses.

can anyone guess how happy i will be when this bitch is finally gone?

i doula like this, i doula like that....

i doula with a wiffle ball bat.

well, not yet anyway. but i will. I just enrolled at the Seattle Midwifery School for postpartum doula training in August.
Doulas perform support for mothers throughout the birthing process and beyond. Doulas are part of a prevalent birthing movement which promotes the importance of recognizing birth as an empowering experience in a woman's life.
After my training, I will focus on the postpartum--
helping a mother adjust to breast feeding.

changing dirty diapers.

and just generally supporting new mom upon her return home.

I am really excited about this opportunity to take what I am learning in school and apply it to my life.
not many people get to say that, right?
anyway, i wanted to share my excitement with my pool of virtual friends.
yay!

28 days

It didn't occur to me until now the reason why I have been so tired lately. Granted there have been some extenuating circumstances over the last month, but i think i have discovered the root of the problem. it is nearing the end of my last quarter of my first year at the UW in the women studies department. in fact, there are only 28 days until my last final of the year. less then 28 days to take 2 more tests, write a personal statement, re-write 3 papers, write 2 new papers, write another set of journal entries and all this while having a nervous breakdown.

where will i ever find the time?

biking for beers

while most of the world was recognizing sunday as a day of rest, i was pedalling my little heart out. ...
L-nutz,my best friend's girl, the harp whisperer, and myself rode all day long. HW and I started at the beginning of the Burke-Gilman Trail and met up with friend 1 and friend 2 a little further along. We continued our bike trek to where the Burke stops and the Sammamish River Trail picks up.
Did we stop there? That is an excellent question and the answer is NO. We continued the ride to our final destination in Woodinville: the Red Hook Brewery. Our reward for the long haul was beer. As an adult I've found beer is the only thing that justifies rigorous toil. the beer was delicious, as was the veggie burger that i ate in virtually one bite. The lemon cheesecake was nothing to sneeze at either. Before we got back on our bikes we made the realization that by the time we got home we would have rode approx 41 miles. On the ride home everyone else seemed to have the energy of 1000 warriors, but I was pretty beat and assumed my position in the rear. there was a point after getting back on my bike that i could feel myself begin to melt down. i began to feel upset and wanted to cry, but i didn't know why. luckily i had enough wits about me to call it what it was--fatigue. Throwing my bike on the ground and throwing a fit was not going to get me home any faster and that is all i really wanted. So, I sucked it up and kept going. This is what i am most proud of myself for.
When I arrived home I had just about enough energy for an hour or so of TV. I was hoping I'd have it in me to finish watching Babel, but I could only muster up the energy to watch a PBS special on dogs and eat leftover enchiladas.
I was asleep by 10pm and did not manage to get out of bed until 9:30am. I was sore, hungry and tired after my day of burning 900+ calories. I was convinced that I was going to give myself a rest before putting myself through anymore physical exertion. so, biking up the monster that is Queen Anne hill to get to work was absolutely out of the question--especially considering how saddle sore I was.
Anyway, here I am blogging, sweaty and hungry. ... I ended up riding to work against my better judgement.
time for eats!!

califonia dreaming. ...

this week has been as exhausting as i expected. i'm trying to be my dad while he's not here and he's kind of the gofer of the family--he does all the grunt work. so, i've been making breakfast and other meals; cleaning, the yucky bathroom that looked like it got hit by a serious shit storm, the dishes--these people make some serious dishes; and folding laundry.
as well, i've had personal things to keep up with. I have a paper due for class tomorrow and i'm the schedule writer for the yarn barn.
i've also been quiet busy visiting with my cousins. this part of the family can out drink a fleet of sailors. now i know where my dad gets it from.
good news is that all this crazy business has kept me from getting sad. so that's all good. i'll be home friday.

12:23am

my grandmother passed. ...

these mitzvahs i have done

So far, this morning has been a string of good deeds for me.

i witnessed a woman having trouble getting her baby Bjorn strapped onto her. so, i marched across the room and helped her get it snapped in place.
then, i saw the wind blow a hat off a young man's head and blow it just out of his reach every time he bent over to pick it up. it was quite humorous. anyway, it crossed paths with me and i was able to stop the runaway hat.
I've also felt compelled to hold open more doors than normal.
and all this before noon.

if I'm going to keep up this good deed doing I'll need a cup of coffee. though it makes me wonder and hope that these deeds go unpunished.
maybe i shouldn't push my luck?

easter sunday funday

Hay-Zues died for our sins and rose again. which is why we hide the eggs? ...

no eggs for me. i did not even eat any for breakfast. today was just another sunday which is my only day off per week. so i usually spend it scrambling to get as much done as humanly possible.
the easiest part of my day was picking up a bookshelf that i found on craigslist. it was smaller than i thought, but $10 cheaper than buying it new at ikea. which brings me to the second errand on the list. get a bed frame--for god's sake shannon you're a grownup and grown ups don't sleep on mattresses in the middle of the floor. This part of my day was especially stressful because the all bed frames i wanted were "out of stock." when i got to the self serve area, i realized that all the beds listed in stock were actually out of stock. but as luck would have it, the one i really wanted actually WAS in stock. i was a little peeved that i wasted all of 5 minutes talking myself in the lesser of the two frames only to find the one i originally wanted. anyway, i don't know how i got that thing in the car, out of the car, and into the apartment all by myself. i can only say it was a miracle. assembling the bed, however, was no miracle. about half of the hardware that came for frame assembly would not fit in its designated hole [if you saw a pun there you are banished from this blog]. Also, I did not possess my typical building finesse. anyway, after 3 hours of losing a fair amount of blood, patience, and some taking of the lord's name in vain i have an assembled bed. i must admit i am a bit concerned about the amount of hardware i have left over. let's hope i make it through the night in one piece.
i think i am being punished for not smashing hard boiled huevos over my brothers head this year.
all-in-all i am happy. i now have a bedroom set of mathcing furniture (night stands, book shelf, and bed). i think at the end of this day i can safely say i am a grown up. if not for attempting to get my act together then at least for the amount of adult content that spewed from my lips.
anyway, i must go pick up my roommate, sasha, from work. she was nice enough to let me use her ride all day.
yay.