Tax Return

Hallelujah! That is all I can say. There is a slight bounce in my step and I am feeling more elated than usual. Hmmmm…how long will the feeling last?

I am just thrilled because this is what my fridge looked like today - going grocery shopping tonight!

San Francisco

Friday after work (late) C and I drove down to SF to spend the night. C’s brother works for Earnest and Young, they have him working in their SF office for a few weeks. During this time they have provided him with a condo in the city, as downtown as you can get - before moving into an office building. He headed home for the weekend and gave us the condo for the night. It was great to get away. We took full advantage of the amazing gym and being close to the shopping. Saturday, after spending the day in the city, we visited Dad at the firehouse – always a good time. He was nice enough to make us dinner.
Noteworthy items – there was no rain. Predictions all week have been for rain on Saturday. I was thrilled to wake up to clear skies Saturday, by lunch the clouds had rolled in, but it was still beautiful. Today was a different story - raining and pouring. I was totally feeling Harry Nilsson in the car on the way to my parent’s “I’m going where the sun keeps shining through the pouring rain…”.
Friday night reminded me, once again, I will never be able to live in a “big city” without difficulty. I am light a sleeper and hardly slept on Friday. Perhaps it was the 2 walls of windows overlooking the city lights-which never seemed to turn off and the constant sirens from ambulance, police and fire. By 3:45am I was at wits end. If I ever move to such an active area I will invest in the metal blackout screens they use in France to create a windowless effect and ear plugs. Dark and quite. 
Here are some photos taken this weekend. Night photos from the roof, day photos from the condo and others from the firehouse.

Hey Trippy!

Yes, that is how my coworker Ry began his email this morning. Trippy! Yesterday was an interesting day. I started off with high hopes – I mean when you randomly find five bucks in the pocket of the coat you have not worn in ages it has to be a good thing, right? Not so, as soon as I walked into the building yesterday I took a fall. Apparently there was some film on the tile which did not agree with my shoes. Granted it only covered about 2 square feet of surface but somehow I managed, over the course of the day, to slip 4 times walking over it. Fearing for my life, or at least my ankles I requested our facilities guys mop the floor. Of course they doubted my story, this meant I had to walk them over to the offending tile and demonstrate how slippery it was. Pretty hilarious.

Lucky Girl

I know most of you who read this have already seen these photos, but my sister is so lucky to get to hang out with this handsome fella everyday.

Mover

For as long as I can remember I have loved rearranging my furniture. I have lived here 2 1/2 months and have moved the furniture in the bedroom and living room 4 times. The arrangements just keep getting better and better.

Here is the living room in its current configuration.

Online at last, online at last

The internet has finally arrived in my apartment. And what a day it has been. This morning I awoke 2 hours ahead of normal in order to get my car to the repair shop (the check engine light, which has been on for several months, started blinking ominously this weekend). My mother was kind enough to drive out to Roseville and pick me up so that I could be home by 10 to meet the Comcast guy. Sadly he was running a little late which means I drifted in and out of consciousness waiting for him, never quite able to sleep because I was waiting for that knock at the door.

Finally he arrived, normal, not as scary as I feared. Far too many awkward moments with cable and repair men. However no sooner had he entered than he left again to take a phone call – more waiting. Minutes past and finally he returned. Hey, wait a minute - did he really just leave to go out to spray cologne on???? Please!!! At that point I decided to keep my distance and started doing the dishes and reading while the cable man sat in my closet. Thirty minutes later the internet is hooked up and I am online. But don’t worry the Comcast guy gave me a parting gift – free cable. I guess this was supposed to impress me, but I don’t even have a TV, what am I supposed to do with cable??? And the last thing I need in my bedroom is TV!

In addition I cannot get my wireless router to work, extremely vexing! I tried for two hours and then gave up, what use is it to be online when I have to sit on the floor of my closet to use the internet. I can just see how the environment will help with my homework productivity.

Graduation

As of yesterday I am enrolled in my final course for my Masters program. I am thrilled but a total wreak – Oh the pressure. Because it appeared that I would never finish my thesis I caved and now am completing the e-portfolio culminating experience. I still have really no idea what it is, having stubbornly refused to find out anything about it because, of course, I would write a thesis.

So my project is due April 20th, graduation is May 16th and I can’t believe it is almost over. I am waiting for the excitement to kick in. Still nothing. Maybe next week. Once I finally have internet service at home and can figure out what it is that I am supposed to do.