Caffeine by a Thousand Quarters

Girlfriends, I will now continue my streak of posting about the only exciting thing in my daily life since I have not yet been allowed to start my new job.  Actually, I also wanted to give some credit to Mr. Borealis, who forgot our anniversary this year, but then made up for it by taking me to The Melting Pot for dinner, where he had roses delivered to our table.  :)  That man makes me smile.

This month (so far, knock on wood), I have had record sales of my books.  That's not a lot--about 4 books in the last 5 days across all the venues it's sold in--but it's a continuing trend of rising sales across the last several months.  I haven't been paid for any sales yet because most of the places I am selling the book have a minimum earnings threshold for issuing a paycheck.  However, looking at all totals together, I've earned over $10, which is kind of an accomplishment when I'm only earning about $0.30-$0.40 per book.  It's not a ton, but it's enough for fancy coffee once a month.  It's enough to look forward to checking my sales figures.  It's enough to justify writing more books.  

Feeling the Crunch

We found a house in a really nice neighborhood, closer to Mr. B's job, that we are thinking about buying.  It's huge and in a nice family neighborhood; we're having a structural engineer out to see it on Monday to check out some things we were worried about in the basement.

I left my job at the evidence room yesterday (after posting two weeks notice).  My new job is supposed to start soon, but I've been having some trouble getting my background check processed.  I am currently unsure when the new job will start, and I must be a grownup now, because the lost paycheck is now bothering me.

I published my books (yay!)  and told some people, many of whom actually know me (yay!) and I've sold a few copies.  I'm currently trying to advertise the heck out of it, so if you want to spam my blog across wherever you happen to be going (you know, facebook, twitter, Google+, etc.), please do.

I guess I'm stressed because of the new job, and the impending move before me.  It would really be nice if I didn't have to work while taking care of the move, but there's a snowball's chance in hell that my book takes off that dramatically before the end of the year.  If we move, we have to pack, and then unpack, and then find renters for our condo, and on and on and on... And I know this will fall on me, because my husband has a job and thereby can't contribute to the process (I have a job, and do the majority of the daily chores, but somehow this reasoning never works for me).

The new room

My house now has a guest room (yay?).  It was supposed to be my crafting studio, but it was converted to a guest room in anticipation of Mr. B's relatives staying with us over the weekend of his sister's wedding; after all the work, the relatives never showed.  This is where I would typically go on a rant about how this is the story of my life with his family, where they steal my personal blah and then I put in a lot of work to do blah for them and then once it's theirs they don't need it because of blah....but I am trying to let it go.

I will be reclaiming the room as a creative space, but just so the rest of you know, I now have a guest room with a queen sized bed.  I gave over my old twin set to my brother's daughter, and I hope she gets some good use out of it--it was a good set for me.

My husband got a job offer contingent on background check, and we might be moving south (only about an hour from where we are now, close to where the RenFest is).  My job job hasn't been quite as expected; it's alright, but more stressful on certain days than anticipated.  I am driven to get published as quickly as possible.

I restocked our fish tank last weekend, and we now have small schools of bloodfin and black skirt tetras, and some orange and green swordtails.  I am looking to add a cory or two, and perhaps some snails.

 I've lost about 15 pounds since the start of June, and still have 30+ to go.

Alula

Things not to do at your bachelor(ette) party

Ladies,

Maybe it's just me--I am willing to accept that possibility.  People are different.  They should tailor their various functions to their needs and desires.  Tonight, I attended one of the most bizarre bachelorette parties I think I ever had, and it got me thinking about all of the weird wedding-related things I've seen in the last 5 years.

Tonight, I attended a bachelorette party where (I don't know how or why) all of the mothers were invited.  The mother of the bride was there.  The mother of the groom was there.  The mother of the maid of honor was there.  Bridesmaids' mothers, and even grandmothers, were there.  It felt more like a wedding shower than a bachelorette party, but all of the women there seemed to think it was cool to get drunk.  So I am sitting there watching middle-aged women being all, "we're such cool moms, we're at a bachelorette party!"  They're downing alcohol like no tomorrow, the bride and her friends think it's funny at first, but it took very little time before they started getting disgusted.  This is unfortunately happening at a Hard Rock Cafe, and the second a Go-Go's song comes on, moms are singing and dancing at the top of their lungs in the middle of the restaurant.  (OMG.)  One bridesmaid finally had to tell her mom to stop because she had several drinks already, was still drinking, and was planning to drive herself home right after dinner.  (The mom, of course, seemed to think she was too cool to leave at this point and wanted to stay the rest of the night--which moms had not been invited to--going bar hopping with the wedding girls.)

Lesson: If you think you're a cool mom, great.  Go drinking with your friends.  Your kids don't want to see that.  Be an even cooler mom and let your daughter hang out with the real cool people--her friends.  

I should note that for this same wedding, all male relatives were invited to the bachelor party too.  My husband went for the early evening activities, but left before things got too weird, apparently.  I later found out that both the father of the groom and the father of the bride stayed the entire party.  The FOB ended up having to escort around the groom because he was too smashed to walk.  They lost two of the groomsmen in Denver.  The next morning one of the groomsmen woke up in the groom's mother's house wearing a woman's tank top with no clue where his shirt was or how he ended up at the house or wearing what he was wearing.  

Lesson:  Seriously--this is how you want your bride's father to see you?  Really?

I attended one bachelor party (that should be a red flag already) where the bride had required the groom to invite her friends (ironically, I wasn't one of them).  See, the bride had a lot of friends, and apparently all of them needed to be in the wedding; the groom, for whatever reason, didn't wish to involve himself in the wedding plans.  She had 15 female friends she wanted in the wedding, plus her brother.  The groom wanted me, my husband, and a friend from high school who couldn't make it.  Result: Eight of her friends, plus me (so that I could walk with my husband) stood on her side of the wedding party.  Her brother, my husband, and her seven other friends stood on the groom's side.  (Yeah, the wedding party pictures were unique, to say the least.)  Her reasoning was that because her friends were on his side of the wedding, they should be invited to the the bachelor party; and even though I was a friend of the groom, my invite was to the bachelorette party (which I ditched to hang with the...er, guys).  We ate dinner, and then were supposed to hang out at Dave & Buster's for a while, but all of the bride's friends were underaged, so we had to wait for an old enough (25 years) cousin escort to get them in.  That was supposed to be the evening, but the best man (bride's brother) was a cool guy, and wanted to do a "real" bachelor party.  Somehow I find myself in a car calling my older brother for advice on strip clubs, we drive to one, the bride's friends are standing there grossed out, and everything is awkward.

Lesson:  If your bride is making attendance of her friends at your bachelor party mandatory, RUN. Don't plan adult activities for under-aged groups.  And for goodness sake, if you are the best man, ask someone beforehand where the good strip clubs are; avoid asking your cool female friend to hunt down the information for you on the spot, which generally can result in a lot of her family members calling the next day with awkward questions.  

Alula

My body, Acting out

It is now (officially) a month since I first started feeling ill.  In retrospect, I'm wondering at the fact that it happened right after I graduated, and had a sudden resurgence in the last week of my job.  I blew out an eardrum, then had a wicked cough and sore throat, and this week, nausea, aches, and fatigue.

I'm beginning to work on a new theory here (it's not pregnancy--yes, I'm sure), because I'm starting to think these symptoms are in part psychosomatic.  I think my body is physically rebelling against my not being in school and over worked; I went two years being swamped with relatively good health.  Even being overweight, I had great scores on my cholesterol and blood pressure, and that's something coming from a family history that's horrifically bad on both fronts.  Now I'm sleeping, watching television, catching up on reading, and have time to write and publish--so why do I feel so crappy?

Every time I sit down to write I feel like I need to be doing something; mostly, I think I need to be finding a job.  I think I put in 10 new job applications today.  I finally have my husband's full support to focus on getting published, and after years of dreaming of doing just this, I suddenly have some subconsciousness need to avoid.  Last night I stayed up until after midnight researching jobs and property in Montana (would I *really* do it, now that my education isn't in the way?  I have no idea).

Munchkin, thank you for agreeing to hold the whip on the publishing cause.  I need it.  Until I adjust to this strange new way of life, I need someone providing structure for me.

Alula

I refuse to take the train again!!

OK so in an attempt to save money on gas, I took the train back home from a visit to the city. Plus I really needed to get away from my mother we can only stand so much quality time together with out problems. So me and little man took the train home. The trip was long, tedious and boring! So I refuse to take the train again, making it a little difficult to get back to the city for a plane ride to my uncles wedding. So my insane solution to this since Mr. Man said to take the bus if the train was so bad, once again I refuse got my fill of buses in high school. Basically that was Mr. mans way of saying he won't drive us down and my step dad has his head buried in books. He offered to come get us the day before the date to leave on the plane, which is another bad idea that seems like it would be more stress than its worth. Well any way my insane solution was to ask my mother to come get us. This will put my mother and Mr man under the same roof, and they really don't get along so well. And since they are both trying to not stress me out due to last months miscarriage will therefore make it more stressful by completely and utterly ignoring each others existence. And added to that since my mother I think is feeling a little left out since we are all leaving for the wedding she doesn't want to go to anyway, feels that getting us 2 1/2 weeks before the trip to the wedding is a good idea. I was thinking a week would be a better solution, that got shot down real quick. The only good thing is that my mother will go wine tasting with me which is kinda fun to get a sample of the drink all the flavors and textures is actually fascinating. So I will be leaving home 2 1/2 weeks before we leave on the 31st to spend 11 days on this trip and I haven't even figured out how I am getting home yet. Lets all count down to my descent into insanity and my doctor said I need to not be very stressed for the next month, yeah she has never met or dealt with my family. Oh add school work to my stress load and a way to active 3 year old at least my sister will be around to help with him. And I might be having another one eventually Mr. man and I talked about it, OK I talked he didn't say anything back, I decided we would just leave it up to mother nature. One thing I refuse to stress about. I seem to be refusing a lot of things lately must be me attempting to control my life in some way. I am starting to get my energy back and my blood chem levels are also back to where they are supposed to be. I still have a bruise from that blood draw. Well that's the rant for now, keep a look out for another one in the not so distant future.

The month of April

I had initially planned to put these topics into separate threads, but no one wants to hear me talk that much, so here is a condensed version.

After literal months of applications and rejections, I got picked for further consideration on three positions recently.  One evolved into a phone interview (have since heard back that I was not selected), one a face-to-face interview, and one was testing (which I aced, and am now expecting a recruiter to contact me for interview).  I am keeping my fingers crossed on these last two and really hoping for a job.

My old red '93 Isuzu Trooper finally hit a point that drove my husband to buy a new car.  Old Red decided not to start after we refueled at a gas station, creating quite a scene, and then periodically would or would not start--ended up dropping it off at my dad's for repair, and he has decided (for the time being, at least) that he will be resuming ownership of the vehicle as a spare, as the car is worth nothing with the cost of repairs.  So, Mr. B went out and overspent exactly like I didn't want to and got himself a shiny new 2011 Subaru Outback; it's a nice car, but it was outside of our set budget, and I am a little pissed about it because my husband seems to think I only became opposed to the cost after the purchase (to which I replied, "I have been saying I don't want to spend that much for weeks.  I said I didn't want to buy it on the lot.  And when they refused to drop the price, I said you were getting handled.  What part of all of that sounds like I wanted to do this?").  It's not that we can't afford the car, but it was outside what we wanted to spend--I told Mr. B that if he really *needed* it that badly that he could have it, but I find new cars pompously arrogant and unnecessary.  Why buy new when you know a used car is just as good and half the price???  --Anyways, I am now driving his old Outback.  (I'll post some fond memories of my Trooper when I clean it out and take some pictures.)

I finally got to attend StarFest.  Last year I was presenting at AAG in Washington, DC, for work.  The year before I was presenting a group project for my MLS (while Brent Spiner was wandering the dealer's room, mind you--I cried when I found this out).  This year, I feel I finally had my priorities straight--this event is part of my personal history and heritage.  It's what my husband and I did every year before attending Prom that night.  I had fun, and feel that my "old self" life goals have been recharged and my direction in life has been reaffirmed and is a little clearer.

Q took me to The Golden Spoon.  The prices are good, the frozen yogurt is good, and the calorie count is fantastic.  I did the math and one could literally eat a pint of this stuff and then work it off with a half hour of dancing.  Amazing.

I bought a game for the Wii out of curiosity.  It's called Just Dance 2, and as the title suggests, you pop it in and "just dance".  The songs are great, the moves to the songs actually match the music videos in some respects, and when run on the shuffle mode, this can actually make for an impressive cardio workout.  The game takes advantage of your (or my, I guess, if I'm the only one) compulsive need to dance in front of the bedroom mirror when a catchy song comes on the radio.  You watch the characters on the screen and mimic them like you are watching yourself in the mirror, and the game tracks your accuracy using the Wii remote you hold in your right hand.  My husband has demonstrated to me that this game can be played from the couch, but that's really not the point--there isn't a strong point or reward system in the game, so the satisfaction really comes from rocking out and bogeying down to your favorite tunes (you can even buy more from the game store).  So far, so good--I've had the game for about two weeks now and it's still holding my interest and making me sweat.  The first time I played it my arms hurt so bad that they woke me up that night, if that's any indication of the level of workout you can get from this.  In terms of cardio, it's much more entertaining than the programming provided on the Wii Fit, though the Fit still provides necessary Yoga, Balance, and Strength training that this game does not.

Alula

The New Season of Our Lives

I am coming to realize that this year is holding more change than the typical year in our group.

Munchkin, your timer in the margin is getting set to run out, and there will be another new baby in our next generation and a new dynamic in our group and interactions.

Q, your husband will be out of school and starting into the "real world" with a career.  I also suspect that you will be facing some decisions soon about school, work, and family.

Lady A has a new boyfriend (you don't know him), and is considering going on a spirit quest to figure out what she wants from life.  Our Ambassador sent me an email that he has been accepted to graduate school to study history and will be moving back home from China this summer so that he can start in the fall.  (Ironically, there is a better than normal chance that one or both of these individuals will live in my spare room at some point in the coming year.)

I am finishing and leaving school, at least for the time being, and (HOPEFULLY) getting a job in the mean time.  I plan on spending more time with family and my books.  Mr. Borealis is looking to make a change in jobs if he can, and now he will be the one in school instead of me.

We have officially launched our business, and we have a website, and it will be interesting to see where that goes in the coming year.

So in preparation of these events, we have business to attend to:

-We need a new counter for our blog.  What's our next "big thing", y'all?

-Since the Ambassador will be back in town, would we like to do another pool on his life?  (Lady A has informed me that she finds this idea distasteful, but I feel we have only done this in good fun.  He's a cool guy with a fast-paced life who would probably be thrilled to know a group of women was gossiping about him.)

-If we were a television series, all of these changes would definitely demarcate a cliffhanger ending and start of a new season.  It's time for a new blog theme--thoughts on what it should look like or incorporate?

Alula

Just when I thought I was done...

The graduate school has fired off a new form for me to fill out before I can graduate.  I need to petition the school to have two classes I took as an advanced undergraduate student towards my MA.  Yes, being punished for overachieving.  I call 'em like I see 'em; and this smells like bull to me.  (sigh--doing the paperwork because I understand the need to formally document things 'for the record', but still smells like a delay tactic to get another semester of tuition out of me.)

I am still unable to finish my incomplete from last spring; the professor hasn't posted the assignments I need to do yet.  I am down to 4 weeks to finish this thing, so ready to be done with it, and the professor won't post the work I need to do.

I am once again on the publishing bandwagon; I need to get this done.  Recently I agonized over whether or not I should push to try and get in to my desired PhD program since the deadline has passed.  Mr. Borealis has been put in a situation because he thought, with 2 master's degrees, that I would have a job by now.  He dislikes the idea of my unemployment more than he dislikes the idea of my staying in school to keep a job.  But, I don't think I can get back into the program until fall of next year.

So now, I think I have resigned myself to focusing on writing and getting published until that time rolls around. Once again, seeking editors.

Alula

Sigh...

Alright Ladies, this is really getting ridiculous. Mr. Munchkin is on the phone arguing with his mother again. They have had a really rough time in his family getting along since the end of October. This situation is totally stressing me out and making me crazy.

He's been on the phone 25 minutes so far this time (a marathon talk for him and his mom) and I heard him raising his voice. I have no clue what the conversation is about because he locks me out of the conversations. What should I do?

~Munchkin

Accomplishing too much

Since getting out of school, I have done the following:

-bought a few new games for my PSP, which I am new playing.  One of them is called Class of Heroes; it's kind of Harry Potter meets classic D&D.  A group of students attends a school for adventurers and goes on dungeon raids where turn-taking fights ensue.  I bought it used and on sale through GameStop along with two other games for 1/4 the cost of a new pair of shoes!  

-I am now rewriting Redemption in the 3rd person and with a more generous narrative.  Anyone who wants in on this editing project, contact me.

-I am attempting to beat all of the campaigns in Zoo Tycoon 2.  I am halfway there.

-My MIL the Librarian got me a wok for Xmas, which I now cook with daily, and all the chicken breast and veggie stir fry is part of my campaign to lose weight.  (Anyone who would like to adjust their resolutions for this year, please email me--I did well this year except for my weight, which is now higher than ever since the fast food binge I went on while Mr. Borealis was sick the first half of the year.)

-I finally talked myself into treating myself to some new skins from Decal Girl.  I have never had a skin from this company before, but the reviews are very good.  I'm getting one for my Barnes & Noble Nook and another for my new phone.

-Speaking of new phone--I wanted to get an LG Ally, but it turns out this phone has been discontinued (LG, I feel this is a bad move, as the slide out keyboard is a very functional feature that does not usurp screen space to use).  Instead, I am getting the LG Vortex.  I should have it in hand by the end of this week--review to follow.

-My husband got me Hermione Granger's Time Turner for Christmas.  I was very impressed by this present, because I never directly told him I wanted it, but I really love it.  

-I've made it through a few more rounds towards the library position I am applying for, which I still dearly hope I get.

-We went to Oklahoma between Xmas and New Years.  We drove with my family.  At the last minute, my brother decided to come, bringing two of his kids along (7 & almost 5).  My husband and I got to drive in the car with my dad and the 7-year-old; she traveled very well.  However, my mom and my sister shop WAY too much, and we had too much luggage (for TWO cars, mind you) on the way home, resulting in airline-like seating conditions.  Once again, Mr. B and I have vowed that we will never again drive with family out to Oklahoma--we will take our own car.  The gas money is worth it to have the leg room, stop when we want, listen to what we want, and not have to mind our language.

-I have fully organized my basement using the shelves Mr. B got for me for our anniversary.  The room is now functional.

-I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins on the way back from Oklahoma.  Actually, I started reading it in a Barnes & Noble in Tulsa using the "read for free" feature on the Nook while using my Nook coupon for a free raspberry smoothie.  The smoothie was awesome, and the first chapter of The Hunger Games was so good that I felt $5 was worth it to get the whole book.  The storyline follows Katniss, a teenage girl who finds herself entered into the morbid Hunger Games that are orchestrated by the Capitol--twenty-four children are picked ever year to fight to the death in these games for the Capitol's amusement, and the winner takes home food and glory to their District.  (I can lend this book from my Nook, so let me know if you're interested.  Also, check out the free e-reader screensavers Barnes & Noble are offering here.)

Alula

Serendipity

So, we are not moving to Montana!  (Both sad and happy for reasons previously discussed.)

Mr. B could not get the potential employer to agree to a salary he wanted--literally a matter of about 5K a year. Plus, my mom had a minor freakout when I told her.  She told me that my brother had been let go from work, and that at the moment he and his wife were both unemployed with 4 kids between them.  My sister was mid-finals and of questionable emotional stability, so she couldn't even think about telling her until finals were over.  My grandmother would miss living across the street from me.

And that was about the point that I realized, I am one of the few points of stability that holds the craziness of my family together right now.  My brother has a habit of springing life changing situations on us without warning.  My sister's emotions are constantly on a roller coaster.  I'm the responsible child who got a spouse and a house and a college education and a successful job; I'm the person my family calls when something important needs to happen, because I can be trusted to check in on Grandma.  I can talk to my sister when she's having "one of those days".  I can watch the nieces and nephews when their parents are having a medical emergency.

Between those two issues--the pay wasn't good enough and our families--we decided not to take the offer.

However, this decision comes with repercussions.  Mr. B was so upset by not being able to settle on the salary and turning down the offer that he said some pretty nasty things about my job, and a minor fight ensued.  He later apologized and admitted that he's just frustrated with life because his job has reneged on career ladder promises.  We had a heart-to-heart about how worried he is about losing his job and neither of us having medical benefits.  About two weeks ago he very sincerely told me he was worried for me and our marriage if I stayed in school because I am a glutton for punishment and tend to overload on courses.

Ultimately, he asked me not to enroll in a PhD program.  Not straight out of two Master's programs, anyways--he said I could go back, but that he really thought I needed some time on the outside.  My parents and Q had each spoken to me separately about this as well (Q, I want to clarify that I am a member of the "real world"--I do real research at a real job that pays real and really good money--but I get what you're trying to say).  So I decided, based on the people who know me best telling me to, that I am putting off the PhD.

Unfortunately, losing my student status means I also lose my job.  So Tuesday night after making this decision, I started applying for jobs online, and was pleased to see there were about 6 in my area right now for academic or research librarians.  I made a mental note to swing through the library at my work to ask if the librarians I know there could introduce me to anyone working at places I was applying to.

I go in to the library Wednesday to talk to a friend there.

Me: (after long-winded explanation...) "...So I am not starting the PhD program in the spring."

Friend: "So you're losing student status."

Me: "Yeah."

Friend:  "Are you looking for a job?"

Me: "Yes."

Friend (raises eyebrows):  "Have you applied here?"

Me (shrugs indifferently):  "Do you have an opening?"

Friend:  "Uh, yeah!"

And less than 24 hours after starting the job search, I have a good shot at a job.  And not just any job, but one that would allow me to keep working where I'm currently working, keep working with my researchers, and keep doing my research while also getting job experience in the library.  It's a win-win-win situation; I'm happy, husband is happy, and work is happy.

I can't help but think that the Universe is just on my side this time.

And someday, I can still complete a PhD.

Alula

Always look on the Christmas side of life

I'm not sure if we're moving or not.  Mr. B has been mum on the issue despite the fact that I keep trying to ask him about it.  I'm wondering if certain repercussions are starting to sink in for him.  FYI, this whole "we might be moving" thing is still on the down-low until next week, please!  I haven't told my sister yet because she's mid-finals, and I don't want to stress her out, so please no one announce anything on Facebook.

Right now (or last I heard, anyways) the plan is that he is going to accept the offer when he gets a call back, presuming the pay is agreeable (they offered something at the last call and he countered).  Even then, we could pull out later if something better came along.  I am reminding him that his chances in the job market have improved since he started his Master's program in the fall, so he might stand a better chance of getting a local job now if he gives it some time.

But right now, I am trying not to think about all of that.  I graduated from my MLS program yesterday.  In the words of my grandmother (she was SOOO proud!) "We finally have a REAL librarian in the family!"

I have decked the halls, and am preparing for the major holiday cookie bash.  I have ordered some of my holiday gifts for the family.

Falalala, Lalalala,

Alula

Montana.

I knew it felt different this time.  He got the offer for the job in Montana.  It pays really well.  16K worth of relocation expenses will be paid for us.

In Montana.

He hasn't accepted the offer yet.  I would like to say I have a chance of finding a job good enough to keep us here, but it feels like I'm circling the drain on this one.

I had to tell my supervisors today, and they were upset.  Not at me--they are upset that I'm leaving.  They told me not to worry because they would figure it out once I was gone, but now they're making phone calls on my behalf seeing if they can find job opportunities for me or find a way to keep my job even if I have to relocate.  They've assured me they will give excellent references if called.

I'm really pretty depressed right now.

Alula

More Montana...and Maine?

Well, I was wrong about the population of the town in Montana.  I had quoted the population for the city and two surrounding counties.  The actual population of the "city" we could potentially be moving to is about 30,000 (half of the town I currently live in).

Mr. Borealis went to his interview in Minneapolis for the position in Montana yesterday.  It went well, though he said they kept stressing the point that the position was "in Montana", and he had to sign a waiver acknowledging that he knew the position was in Montana, and he would relocate there, if he were offered and accepted the job position.  Apparently it's hard to get people to move out there, and they wanted to make it clear in his mind that he would, in fact, be living in Montana.

I ask you:  Does it make a city more or less of a place if it qualifies for listing on ePodunk.com??

He also got an email on Monday from the folks in Maine.  (Did I tell you about Maine...?)  He had previously been turned down for a phone interview because he didn't want to pay his way to fly out for an in-person interview (the Minneapolis people paid for him to fly out).  They later sent him a personal note apologizing for not being able to accommodate his phone interview, and then the email came saying they had held on to his resume and wanted to talk to him about a different position.

I have decided it's more likely than not at this point that we are moving out of state; don't know where, don't know when.  Dodging one bullet is a feat, but now I've got two coming straight at me.  I am thoroughly stuck halfway between two worlds: one where I am a hard working professional with my career laid out before me, and one where I am exhausted and doing terrible things to my health by taking too many hours at work and school (both fueling each other at this point--need student status to keep job, need job to pay for school), waiting for Prince Charming to take me away from it all before I hurt myself.

I need advice.  Badly.

Alula

Montana???

Well, ladies,

Yesterday my husband texted me late in the afternoon while I was still at work.  He said he got a call back from a job he applied for in Montana, and they were paying to fly him out for an interview.  The job is a highly paid one for the government (Federal), and the interview is in Minneapolis.  Apparently the position in Montana is hard to fill, owing to the fact that the city it is in is small and does not have any nearby major universities to turn out employees in this field of work.

He's been called for interviews before.  He's even been flown  out for interviews before, and didn't end up getting the position (this is pretty standard for fed jobs--they fly out a few of the well-qualified candidates before hiring).  But this time, when he texted me, I got a feeling like he'd just told me we were moving.  I think he's going to get this job, and it's making me a little sad and nervous and excited.

The city we would be moving to has a population of just over 70,000.  For reference, my (our) hometown in Colorado has a population of almost 55,000--and that's our hometown, ladies, not Denver, which has a population of about 610,000.  We're talking about living in a place where the closest major city is just barely larger than the current town that we live in.  The town we are looking at living in out there has a population of less than 1,500!

Think about it: no traffic.  Small town lifestyle.  Wilderness.  Sounds great.

Sounds lonely.  FYI, the city out there does not have a Qdoba, a Barnes & Noble, or a Hobby Lobby (they do have a Michael's on the far north side).  This is a place where you have to buy an engine block heater and turn it on an hour before you plan to drive, or your car may not start.  The average daily high does not get above freezing during December and January, which I have no qualms with because I like the cold and snow, but good grief that's cold--the average lows that time of year are single digit.

We're looking at finding a foreclosure out there on some land.  About ten acres.  I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, looking out the windows in my living room at snow blanketing the meadows and forests with a clear starry sky and moon.  A white Christmas...with all my friends and family back in Colorado.

Mr. Borealis expects that I will find a similarly successful career out there as I have here.  But let's face it: he expects me to find a fantastic federal career job in a city of ~70,000?  I've been scoping out the libraries and jobs out there, and have yet to find anything like what I have here.  I've told Mr. B this, and he's conceded slightly that if we move, it represents a shift in focus towards his career.  I don't know what that means for me.  I'm sure I'll find something, and I can run some of the web oriented stuff for our business from out there, but it feels like my education is going down the toilet--it isn't exactly a hotbed of information science out there.

Alula

Stunning news

So...

My sister is getting married!  She's been with her fiance for about 5 months, and I'm very happy for her.  I am a little concerned, because she seemingly hasn't been with this guy for a long time (She's had relationships in the past stretching for 1-2 years), but some people are just like that--they hit an age or a time when they just become ready for the whole marriage thing, and perhaps that's the way it is with her, and she's finally found the one.  I've never met her fiance; my mom really likes him, so I'm looking forward to meeting him.

(Just fyi about the above...I'm not sure how "out" this is supposed to be, so please hold off on spreading this news or congratulating her on any public social networking sites.)

Apparently I'm not allowed to tell my brother, because my sister and my mom are engaging in some sort of weird familial hazing revenge.  My sister is just going to "wear the ring around for a bit and let him figure it out for himself".  (For anyone who missed this section of my life, my brother waited until his girlfriend was in her third trimester to tell us she was pregnant.  He also neglected to tell us that he got married to her a while back.  My mom was very understandably hurt by the whole situation of not being told.)  My sister made a point of telling my mom first, and now, I am apparently asked not to tell my brother.  It's my sister's engagement, so I am honoring that request (to honor her engagement, and not because I believe in perpetuating an atmosphere of secrecy).

I am sick as all get out since Tuesday night; I think I caught a bad cold or the flu when I attended out-of-state class last weekend.

Alula

Frogs, Twisted Metal, and Maine

Update on frogs: the next day, two more frogs died.  I swapped out more of the water, and the last frog looked fine.  I was really hoping he was going to make  it.  Then, today, I discovered him dead.  I don't know what happened, but it is an incredibly sad moment for me; I've had those frogs since my early teen years.

Mr. B and I drove out to Emporia, Kansas, over the weekend to attend a class weekend.  He spent the three nights before the trip trying to fix up his car with his dad because there are several problems he's let go for a while (the catalytic converter, some small parts in need of replacing, and the noise it makes when he turns the wheel, just to name a few).  He managed to replace the small parts, but they didn't have time for the "big" stuff.  Mr. B's dad assured him the car would make the trip.  Then, getting dinner Saturday night, Mr. B fouled a U-turn into a field and something went CLA-CLUNK under the car.  Mr. B assured me we just hit a rock, but I was sure I felt something break in the wheel well next to my feet on the passenger side.  Then, driving back on Sunday, we make a pit stop and I see Mr. B looking under the car.  Then he's calling his dad.

Then I look under the car.  There's a twisted metal chunk hanging out from under the passenger side front wheel, and something dripping out of the engine.  His dad couldn't identify it (and still can't, beyond the fact that it was some kind of wheel/axle support--we think the clear fluid may have just been condensation of some sort), but told us that if the wheels were turning, it was probably okay.  We made it home.

I'm now hoping that Mr. B will somehow start taking care of problems with his car when they occur instead of waiting until the last possible moment.  (Fat chance, but I can wish.)

Mr. B is now applying for jobs in Maine, and I am finding myself kind of hoping he gets one.  Property is extremely cheap out there because the average yearly income is so low (like 3bed2bath on acreage with a river for 50K cheap).  It would disappointed me to have to leave my job here, but it's nice to dream of running away to a little farmhouse with a library job and time to write.  :)

Alula

New Frontiers

Hello Ladies!

Sorry I've been absent for such a long time (though I have been secretly keeping tabs on your lives via this brilliant blog). I have much news to bring, and thought that I should probably give it all at once just to make sure you get the maximum effect.

The first new frontier in my life is that my husband has made drastic career move, a literal 180 degree switch from what he has ever done. He is now a natural gas driller! Who would have ever thought the man who graduated 3rd in his class, and got a Micro-biology degree with a graphic design minor, would end up as a real working man.

This career move means that I am without my husband for half the year, and with him for the other half. He works 7 twelve hour days and then has 7 days off. He's done one week so far, and though I missed him terribly, the monetary rewards far outweigh any grief that I have for the week he's gone.

The next life changing frontier Mr. Munchkin and I have ventured to is one the one of parenthood. Yes, that's right ladies, I am pregnant and apparently due April 10, 2011. More news along these lines is the possibility that my doctors either have my due date incorrect, or I may be having more than one child dwelling in my body. This discovery was made by my doctor while getting my normal check-up (with no ultra sound scheduled for a month). My doc was feeling around down low when she suddenly states, "You feel a little farther along than 8 weeks, let's get you in for an ultra sound sooner."

So... Mr. Munchkin and I are off to the doc's office this Friday to find out my fate. I'll keep you all posted. Alula if you wanted to put a countdown up, just be warned you may have to adjust the date if you do it before I get the word on Friday.

Wish me luck all!

~Munchkin

My husband is scarred by book lights & we got a new water heater

Remember the awesome book light my husband got me for my birthday?  As it turns out, he hates book lights.  Apparently his mother used a book light a lot when he was kid, especially when they were traveling in the car and hotels etc., and he hates them, because he thought she was always especially rude in her use of them.  He asked me to please leave our bedroom at night if I intended to continuing using the book light; to this I replied, if I am leaving the room, I can turn the fraggin' lights in in whatever room I end up in.  So, I am now compelled to use the book light under the covers of the bed so the light is not visible from any angle.

Personally, I think my husband is just jealous of the nook.

Also, we got a new tankless water heater installed yesterday.  Our old water heater was located in the not-a guest-room on the first floor; the room was designed as a perfect guest or renter's room, with its own attached bathroom, but also with the water heater in a closet of the room.  This was apparently and okay thing for builders to do in 1979, but since then we've discovered that the carbon monoxide generated by water heaters can kill you, and they should not be located where people sleep.

We asked around a few plumbers to get quotes on moving the water heater to the basement, which was evidently not designed to hold a water heater (it lacks a water drainage pipe, air intakes and outputs, doesn't have the recommended number of outlets).  We were told that the airways would have to be cut through the stucco exterior, electrical outlets would need to be relocated, aspects of the furnaces would need to be brought up to code for the final inspection, etc.  However, we found a plumber willing to do the entire job (removal of the old water heater and installation of new tankless heater in the basement) for $3500, and that included the cost of the new heater, which was way less than we thought it would cost.  We also get rebates from our energy company and a federal tax rebate, so the cost is further reduced.

The guys showed up at 8:30 yesterday morning; by happenstance, I was working from home that day to shorten my drive to a talk later in the day (attendance for work).  Mr. B told me he had taken the day off of work to oversee the installation.  Then when I tell him I need to work from home that day, he responds with "Oh good, you'll be here until 2:30.  Then I'm going to go run errands and turn in job applications."

Um, no?!  I say this once: why do people not understand that working from home entails, um, working? As in, I sit in a room and work, and pretend that I am at my office, and I am not paid to oversee water heater installation, answer plumber's questions, turn all the faucets on and off, see if pipes are getting hot, show people where the water main is, call the HOA to see if X-Y-Z is okay to do...


Mr. B gets cranky when I tell him he needs to pretend I'm at the office, like always, and says (laughing, I might add): "Okay, sure.  Whatever."  And then adds, "I have stuff to do, too!"

What the hell?  Seriously?  He took the day off from work specifically to oversee that project.  He didn't know I would be home that day until 7pm the night before.  Seriously, can I ask why working from home is such a tough idea to digest?  If I needed to take time off to oversee home improvements, I would have asked for time off, but Mr. B said he had it covered.  Had it covered until he found out I was working from home, apparently, and then decided to dump it off on me and go do whatever (don't worry--I didn't let him; I sat in the office and worked and made him sit his butt down in the living room and do the aforementioned duties related to the install).

He gave up the fight by noon.  The installers were there until almost 10 pm yesterday night, and showed up again this morning to finish the job.  Turned out a little over the price quote because the plumber found some rusted pipes that needed replacing (from the propane meter coming into the house), but we now have unlimited hot water on demand, have added an extra bedroom to our house, and no longer have to worry about anyone dying in their sleep.

Alula