Until the Stars Are All Alight

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Honestly, at this point I think I'd be the person wanting to hold off a little while. =/ But I certainly wouldn't wait forever if this was the case. I'm not interested in being in a relationship that isn't potentially going to lead to marriage sooner or later, but I think last time was definitely rushed.

(The whole no-sex-except-with-spouse thing. It's a motivator for sure.)




In other news, my niece posted: "If another person treats me like im stupid im going to punch them.. Seriously." on Facebook. I'm debating whether or not to comment "I'm*" just to annoy her. =)

Yeah. Doing it. XD

Lunch plans (Marqui's going to be in town yay!) tomorrow, followed by going out to my parents' for a cookout. My mother has guilted me into staying overnight and going to church with them Sunday morning. (She seriously offers EVERY DAMN TIME I go out there, "Oh, you don't have to drive home tonight, you could just stay!" And it's like...but I'm less than an hour away from MY bed, dammit.)

So DO NOT WANT. But she's kind of right, Dad's been helping a lot with the whole car thing, and teaching me to drive the stick shift (I think I've got it now). And she's all "It's FAAAAAATHER'S DAY."

Dammit.

Anyway they don't have internet, so yeah. Will likely not be online much/at all until Sunday evening.

Shelly: going to put your chapter on my iBook and take it with because they go to bed way early, but I make no promises.

ETA: When I get back, I am likely going to do a 30 Days of Klaine meme. You can blame Shelly.

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I am pretty sure Dad would be a beaver or a bee (always working), and Mom would be one of those fainting goats (completely falls apart at the smallest sign of conflict).

Because someday, someone will care. XD Woot for happy endings at least.

Monday before last, as Cody and I were driving on our way to have a celebratory dinner after doing our legalities (lol), my car started jerking. I pulled into a parking lot just to get off the street--luckily it was O'Reilly Auto Parts. As my car shuddered and died, I realized my (digital) dashboard had died, no indicators of anything. Parked, tried to start up again, click click click. No dice. We went inside and got a guy to come check the car, he said it was probably the alternator or the battery (as I suspected), he tested the battery and said it had like no charge, but it could still be either--the alternator dying would kill the battery. He gave us a jump and we drove the block or so to Wayne's Auto Repair, where my cousin works. (Take your cars there, folks. Srsly.) It was closing time there, but we left the keys and got a ride back to the house (thanks April!! =D), where we took Cody's car to go have dinner.

( And then I found $5! (not really--it's an injoke) )

So if you have car trouble in or around Mountain Home, take your car to Wayne's Auto Repair (it's between AutoZone and the Exxon station where 5, 201, and 62 merge). They will do you right. (I feel like I should be handing out business cards for them. If he's going to comp us a tow I want to drum up some business for him!)

~*~

On a side note, the whole moving-in thing is working really well. Our car insurance together is considerably cheaper than either of us was paying alone. And groceries are easier. We're actually having money left over. I'd forgotten what that felt like.

**previously typed**


Cody, Nico, Liz and I went out for Chinese this afternoon before I had to leave for work. My fortune said "Your fortune is on its way!" I shit you not. I was disappointed, first because my fortune was so crappy, and then because it wasn't a real fortune. Unless of course it means my FINANCIAL fortune is on its way...I might be okay with that. =)

Cody's fortune was "Leaders are readers." Nico grabbed them both from us and switched them. XD

A couple of weeks ago I got one that said "A way out of a financial mess is discovered as if by magic!" And now I have a job...hm. IDK. I was hoping to win the lottery, lol. Not that I'm complaining about getting paid to sit around and read books all night.

My favorite one of all time is taped to my other laptop (which reminds me, I still need to take/post pics of THIS one in all its awesome customized glory--lol as I was typing that one of the nurses was like "OMG, cool!"). It says: "Opportunity is knocking--answer it tomorrow." XD

The best story ever from a fortune cookie, though, has got to be one from the other week. Cody and I were debating over dinner. We were thinking Taco Bell but were hemming and hawing, I asked him if he'd rather have something else and he said yes, but I wouldn't go with him. It came out that what he REALLY wanted was Chinese, so we decided to get him Chinese takeout and me Taco Bell and go home and eat them together. He gave me the fortune cookie, and the fortune was "A lifetime of happiness lies ahead of you." I melted right into the couch. =)


I want to say a bit about my book collection. I've been posting a lot of status updates stating what I'm reading, and those of you who chat books with me, or have given or loaned me a book, or recommended a book to me might be interested to know.

( Is long. )

I thought it had been a few days since I checked LJ. It's been over a week. I fail.

So yeah, new job. I think I posted that I got a job? Yes, yes I did. I'm working 8 PM to 8 AM, two days on, one day off (more or less, with the exception of some weekends that were scheduled before I was hired). Indefinitely--until the client passes away. She's terminal, and the family just wants someone at her bedside 24/7. I got to pick my shifts.

So yeah, it's a bit boring. The client (I have to keep everything confidential, of course) sleeps most of my shift, I maybe spend 20 minutes of the 12 hours actually interacting with her. In four shifts I've finished something like eight or nine books. (Bear in mind that a few of them were started already, but still.) I did some sewing that I've put off for around a year. I got permission to take my laptop for the purpose of writing (I asked, since the training materials said not to use a client's internet connection but didn't specify), so Shelly: I'll be working on my chapter Monday. Maybe I'll work on other stuff when it's done. =D I love to read, but I just can't do it 12 hours straight, you know? =) And I think it's possible that my reading speed has slowed a bit, but it's hard to judge--I'm tackling more difficult stuff than the last time I clocked myself, but I also flick my eyes up every time I hear the slightest noise.

Hourly, I'm being paid less than minimum wage since the overnight shift is paid a flat rate, but since I sit on my butt for most of it, I don't really care. With all the hours I'm working (48-60 a week, depending on when the days off land) it works out monetarily. Also, I now have a legitimate reason to be up all night. =D Nope, can't sleep on shift. Possibly with other clients that are still in their homes, but not this one. (This client is my sole assignment until the inevitable happens, unless I decided to pick up a shift somewhere along the road.)

So. Work is okay. Expect the occasional late-night work-related Facebook status update via text message. Oh yes, that reminds me--I can't take phone calls when I'm working, I have to keep my phone on vibrate or silent, but I'm free to text when the client is asleep. Or at any rate no one's going to know I'm texting to bitch about it, lol. So if anyone else is a bored insomniac who likes to text...it may take me a while to check my phone but any break in monotony is good. If you catch me on a night off I'll just text back as much. "Off tonight, sleeping, ttyl." =)

In other news, I LOVE BOOKMOOCH. Better yet, here's my profile. Friend me if you join! =) Or, you know, are already on there. It's an awesome thing if you love to read but don't feel the need to hang on to the books afterward, or if you have otherwise accumulated a pile of books you no longer want sitting around. (Textbooks, too!)

And, a dilemma. I'm going to keep this as brief and simple as possible.

( Woot, family drama, sorta... )

Both of us, actually. Cody will be ever-so-gracefully flipping burgers at McDonald's, starting Monday (or at least getting oriented on Monday, lol), and I'm to be helping senior citizens stay out of big bad nursing homes by helping them with chores and errands. =) Should be interesting, to say the least. I like older folks for the most part, I like hearing the stories of having to walk barefoot three miles to school, uphill both ways, lol. The place is called Home Instead, which sounds all nice and warm and fuzzy, doesn't it? I go in tomorrow for my own orientation/paperwork. Starts at ten, IDK how long it'll be. The people in the demo video I watched were wearing uniforms so I might get some of those, but I'm kind of hoping WE (there are supposed to be 3 or 4 of us at orientation) don't have to wear them and that was just for promo purposes.

The woman who interviewed me--my boss now, lol--knows Dad.

"Do you have any experience working with seniors?"
"Well, not work experience, but my dad works in a nursing home and I've been around seniors most of my life."
*other questions*
"Which nursing home does your dad work at?"
"Good Samaritan."
"Oh, is your dad Jerry? I know him! All the women over there are always talking about how good he smells! And he does!"

That cracked me up. I told her that was because between me and Mom, he gets cologne on pretty much every special occasion. Lol.

I did interview for another job on the same day, and I kind of hoped that I'd get that one instead, but it didn't work out like that. Oh well. Interesting thing that happened at the interview, though--the woman asked me if I had any kids. This right after saying that the job was flexible for those who had kids at home, needed to call in because they were sick, etc. Of course I told her no, thinking that that would be an asset to me since not having kids means they're not going to detract from work. I was going to tack on that I wasn't married yet--which is not the point, since Cody and I aren't having kids even when we are married, but most of the time when a stranger is getting too nosy, this will quiet them down, because they're not going to encourage you to go into single motherhood. =P But this woman was one of those that won't let you get in a word edgewise (this is important)--other than asking when I could expect to hear from her, and how much it paid, I don't think I got to say anything more than two or three words at a time.

Well, anyway, I must have been a bit too enthusiastic for her tastes, because she was like, "Well, you're saying that like you don't want them!" Which I don't, but I couldn't interject that. She then went on to say that her own daughter (who, I gathered, is around my age or a bit younger) was still in the "puppy stage"--"She thinks it'll be easier to have a puppy than kids!"

I just kind of laughed that off, but really, if a dog is more work than a kid...YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG. I don't know if you're neglecting your kid or spoiling your dog rotten, but either way something is warped! So the daughter is Actually Quite Right in thinking that, IMHO.

Also, I was kind of shocked that she carried on with it--I can understand the question as it is relevant to a job (yes, I know, technically it's not legal to ask about an employee's personal life, etc etc, but I don't mind being asked to an extent, if it actually pertains to availability or whatnot), but to comment on a HIGHLY personal choice--assuming I've made the typical one, assuming I CAN make the typical one and don't have fertility issuse--IDK. It just irked me. And then calling it a stage like I'll grow out of it!! >_<

Earlier today I ran across an entry by littlelaiken. She was talking about starting a petition to make "Why are you single?" one of the socially unacceptable questions, like asking a stranger when she's due, or asking a woman her age. (It's friends-locked, but I'm linking to it for my own reference.) I think any questions about when a couple is going to have kids should be off-limits as well. Laiken was talking about how the "why are you single?" thing is usually well-meant ("You're so cool/funny/awesome, I can't understand why no man has snatched you up!"), but it makes the person being asked think over the last painful breakup, or think that maybe there IS something wrong with them, etc. "When are you having kids?" is similar in that the asker has no idea about the circumstances--the person being asked may want them and not be able to have them, and be touchy about it, or maybe the couple is waiting to be in a better place financially, or like me, may just plain not think kids are the be-all, end-all of human existence. The thing of it is, it's not really their business why, and besides that, they're running the risk of bringing up a very painful subject in some cases. No, we don't have any kids. Period. That should be the end of it.

I still would have taken the job, were it offered to me, though. There would be plenty of time to talk about it later, if it ever came up again.

And now, I have decided to officially document my list of reasons as to why I don't want kids. I've kind of derailed from the point of this post, which is that I'm no longer unemployed! =D YAY!!

I think I'm a few days behind here, I meant to computer Friday morning while Cody was in class but we got all the way there only to find out that his class was, in fact, canceled. *headdesk*

I'm not going to check everything right now, but I'm going to post this quiz that's been making the rounds over on Facebook, and check everything in the morning.

Taken from kiashyel, and like I said, it was going around Facebook. =)


A
- Available: Not anymore!
- Age: 22. 23 soon enough.
- Annoyance: Stupidity.
- Animal: Horses.
- Actor: Elijah Wood!

B
- Beer: I'm happy to notice that all my chick friends seem to agree--EW.
- Birthday/Birthplace: March 14, 1986, right here in Mountain Home.
- Best Friends: Gah. It's a list these days.
- Body Part on opposite sex: Eheh...I tend to notice hair first, but I love me a nice pair of arms.
- Best feeling in the world: Being goofy with Cody.
- Blind or Deaf: I think I'd rather just be dead than either of those.
- Best weather: Overcast, not raining. Windy is nice if you've got a jacket. Snow is awesome, too.
- Been in Love: Currently!
- Been on stage?: Yeah.
- Believe in yourself?: Most days.
- Believe in life on other planets: “I guess I'd say if it is just us... seems like an awful waste of space.” <= Kia's answer. I don't know what she's quoting but DAMN that says it so perfectly.
- Believe in miracles: Yes.
- Believe in Magic: Indeed.
- Believe in God: Of course.
- Believe in Satan: Unfortunately.
- Believe in Santa: No, that was quashed early on by uberChristian parents.
- Believe in Ghosts/spirits: Yeah. I haven't seen any but I'm hard pressed to think of a friend that doesn't have a paranormal story of some sort to tell when asked if they've ever seen a ghost.
- Believe in Evolution: Not what they teach in schools. I think an animal can change and adapt to its surroundings (like a squirrel can start growing thicker fur if it's living in a colder climate)--but it's never going to become a different species (a squirrel is never going to turn into a dog).

C
- Car: Silver 1990 Chrysler LeBaron convertible
- Candy: Chocolate in just about any form, but with peanut butter being the best.
- Color: Purple
- Cried in school: The day I threw up at school.
- Chocolate/Vanilla: ...see candy answer.
- Chinese/Mexican: Mexican.
- Cake or pie: Generally pie, unless Kristy's making it.
- Country to visit: I want to visit most of Eastern Europe.

D
- Day or Night: Night. I'm not a big fan of that yellow glowing thingy--what is it called? Oh yeah, the SUN.
- Dream vehicle: Hm. IDK. Used to want a Mustang but around here they have such a reputation I'm not so sure anymore. I think I'd go for like, a Prius or some such.
- Danced: Oh yeah.
- Dance in the rain?: Not yet.
- Do the splits?: Never successfully that I recall.

E
- Eggs: No thanks.
- Eyes: Aquamarine.
- Everyone has: a secret.

F
- First crush: Honestly? Really and truly? Luigi. As in Super Mario Brothers. =)
- Full name: Sarah E. Strobel. Mixing it up a bit in November.
- First thoughts waking up: Depends on if I wake naturally or it's an alarm. With the former I wonder what time it is, and with the second it's usually "KILL IT WITH FIRE!"
- Food: Hm. Pizza or Mexican.

G
- Greatest Fear: ...something happening to Cody.
- Giver or taker: A bit of both, probably more the latter if I'm being honest.
- Goals: Get a decent job. Everything else is on hold until after the wedding.
- Gum: Eh, not really. Bubblegum maybe if it's not a hard gumball.
- Get along with your parents?: Not really, but better now that I don't see them every day.

H
- Hair color: Red. At some point I'd like to have purple for a month or two, but it'll be when I either have a job where I can do it or don't have to work, and definitely for sure after the wedding!! All hair experimentation is on hold until after then!
- Height: 5'9", I think.
- Happy: Delightfully so.
- Holiday: My birthday, of course. =P Lol. Seriously? Christmas.
- How do you want to die: Incredibly old. Like well into the triple digits at least. (I think medical science will advance to this point over the course of our lives!)
- Health freak?: *snerk*
- Hate: would be more fun if I didn't feel guilty for it.

I
- Ice cream: It varies. Here lately, plain vanilla with toppings. =)
- Instrument: Cody and I have talked about this recently and I've come to think that there's really nothing that can evoke the range of emotion that a piano can.

J
- Jewelry: Matches my outfits. I had three rings I wore steadily but since Cody proposed I actually change up my right-hand rings every couple of weeks. I let my engagement ring stand alone on my left hand, of course. =)
- Job: LOOKING. As a matter of fact I'm printing off two résumés as I type.

K
- Kids: I can tolerate those of people I love, but it's rare for me to encounter one in public without walking away muttering "I hate kids." Consequently, we're not having any.
- Kickboxing or karate: Karate! And several other dangerous-sounding Japanese words!
- Keep a journal?: LJ, and a dream journal (which is totally half-ass, honestly).

L
- Love: is worth the wait.
- Letter: L, lol.
- Laughed so hard you cried: Oh God, all the time. Cody didn't win me over on looks alone. ^_-
- Love at first sight: I think it's pretty rare, not nearly as common as lust at first sight. All the same I knew from the first time I saw Cody's picture that there was something different about him, though I didn't know I was going to end up marrying him.

M
- Milk flavour: I tend to crave/want plain milk more often than anything.
- Movie: Lord of the Rings, of course.
- Mooned anyone?: Cody wishes. =P
- Marriage: 11-10-09!!!
- Motion sickness?: Rarely, usually if I get up too early and have to drive, or eat too early and drive.
- McD’s or BK: BK, if the budget is there.

N
- Number of Siblings: Um. Five if you count steps and the dead one.
- Number of Piercings: Two per ear. The cartilage one got torn and then grew out. =(

O
- Overused Phrases: I tend to be the user rather than the one irritated by them...I'm getting rather tired of "inaugural" and "inauguration," however.
- One wish: For November to hurry up and get here and then the rest of forever to go very slowly. =)

P
- Place you’d like to live: Some big city further north.
- Perfect Pizza: Pepperoni from Breadeax Pizza, with stuffed crust. (As far as I know they don't sell it, lol.)
- Pepsi/Coke: Pepsi. (Which, in the font on the new boxes, looked at upside-down, looks like it says "isded".)

Q
- Questionnaires: If my friends post them, I pretty much can't resist.

R
- Reason to cry: What Kristy threatens to give Wolf if he tears up over nothing.
- Reality T.V.: Only if it's actually realistic, not uprooting people from their environment for something fake. The latter is really just a glorified gameshow.
- Radio Station: Radio? Oh, you mean that thing I listen to when my mp3 player's batteries die? I have like six stations programmed in, and my goal is to avoid commercials and static. =)
- Roll your tongue in a circle: Can't.

S
- Song: Once Upon a Broken Heart by the Beu Sisters came up on shuffle tonight in the car with Cody and I nearly cried.
- Shoe size: 10 or 11 depending on the brand and style.
- Salad Dressing: ...salad? =S
- Slept outside: Nope. In a tent once when I was five or so, and once I spent the entire night outside, but I didn't sleep a wink until after it got light, at which point I went inside and slept on the couch.
- Seen a dead body?: At a funeral. I really regret looking. I hate the memory of her looking like that.
- Smoked?: GOD no.
- Skinny dipped?: No, and don't really plan on it. A bathtub is the largest body of water I really care to immerse myself in.
- Shower daily?: If I'm not going anywhere at all, I'll stay in the same damn pajamas and not bother. But most days yes.
- Sing well?: Not really.
- In the shower?: Not often. I tend to talk to myself though.
- Swear?: Depends entirely on the fucking audience. =P
- Stuffed Animals?: All but two are in a box, and one of those is a handmade Frodo doll.
- Single/Group dates: I prefer the single date--it's hard to get to know someone when you can't focus on them.
- Strawberries/Blueberries: Meh. I like blueberry muffins and donuts but that's about it.
- Scientists need to invent: If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we have envelope glue that tastes good?

T
- Time for bed: HA!
- Thunderstorms: So long as the power stays on.
- TV: LOST!!!!!!
- Touch your tongue to your nose: I could when I was little, but now I won't try because I'd get grossed out if I pulled it off.

U
- Unpredictable: Moi.

V
- Vegetable you hate: ...most of them.
- Vacation spot: The last time I truly went on a vacation, my age was in the single digits. That being said I'd LOVE to go on an Alaskan cruise or jet around Europe.

W
- Weakness: It is really freaking hard to tell Cody no.
- When you grow up: ...hell will freeze over?
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you? Hm. I think most of my friends have similar thought patterns (this probably has to do with me having an intelligence requirement), but overall I think it'd be Shelly.
- Who makes you laugh the most: Cody.
- Worst feeling: Helplessness.
- Wanted to be a model?: Only for the money.
- Where do we go when we die: Well, that depends on how we behaved on Earth.
- Worst weather: Hot sun.

X
-X-Rays: None. Ever.

Y
-Year it is now: 2009
-Yellow: Is incredibly unflattering on me.

Z
- Zoo animal: Zebras!
- Zodiac sign: Pisces.

LAST PERSON WHO…
1. Slept in a bed beside you? Cody. (Fully clothed the whole time, thanks.)
2. Last person to see you cry? Cody.
3. Went to the movies with you? Abi. And that was months ago.
4. You went to the mall with? Cody.
5. You went to dinner with? Cody.
6. You talked to on the phone? Nico.
7. Made you laugh? Cody.
8. Had a face contest with: Yeah, no one answered because no one knew what it meant. Me either.

As I sit here, filling out a .PDF job application online, preparing to print off a copy, I suddenly remember my father telling me that I should learn to type on a typewriter, not hte computer, because the one thing I would never be able to do on a computer is fill out a form.

That being said, I was given an electric typewriter and a typing course from the 60's, got really enthusiastic for literally one day, then returned to hunting-and-pecking, trying to write stories on the computer, and now type faster than most people I know. The electric typewriter is collecting dust somewhere in my parent's house, or possibly it was sold without my knowledge. Or maybe my mom is using it. I don't really know. (I'm 98% that the typing books are still in the basement.)

But lol.

Why is it that even though I have no job and finances are...strained, at best, I feel like I'm accomplishing more and am more on top of things than ever before?

I think NaNo is helping (hey, look, I got behind but managed to pull myself up by my bootstraps and catch up, so I can do that in other areas of life), and I'm not gonna lie--I think being in a healthy, committed relationship is doing wonders for me.

I just kind of wish I had some freaking money. I HAAAAAAAAAAATE being in debt. And my credit score went down, because my WaMu card is new. D=

But seriously. Creativity is jump-started, and right at the start of winter, when I tend to be more creatively productive anyway since the weather makes me happier.

I don't know, I guess I really don't have a point here, other than to mention that NaNo is rolling along nicely, even if I am behind. I think I can finish in four or so hardcore sessions (ie 5,000 words), and I have a week of catsitting during which I think I'll be able to cram those in. I'm almost going to HAVE to finish a day early, since the last day to work is a Sunday and I'll surely be with Cody one way or another. If I go see him, I will more than likely not be home until after the midnight deadline.

The nice thing is I started with something that could be expanded on, rather than something with major plot holes, so I'm just rechronicling, and expanding things where they feel natural. (I now have a background romance in the past, and a better-clarified backstory, though it's a bit clunky in the beginning.) There's more description in it than in the original RPG, lol. The world is a bit more fleshed out, and the mystery is unravelling (one l, Firefox? Really? I like it with two, thanks--maybe I should switch to British English spellcheck) more slowly for the characters--ie, events are taking place further apart, at a more realistic speed.

I still think the plot may fall short of the word count, and I'll have to have an epic epilogue--not that I can't manage that. (If J.K. Rowling can do it, SO CAN I.) I could also, I'm sure, go in and add bits here and there, but honestly I don't think I'll have the time to find where they'd fit best. Easier to keep writing forward than to add in the middle, at least when time is of the essence.

Forgive any incoherence. I should be asleep. Cody's going to be here in three hours and fifteen minutes, give or take. I WOULD be asleep but I'm flatironing. Won't have time tomorrow, catsitting starts at noon!

And I just realized I haven't really mentioned this--I'm catsitting all next week, starting tomorrow. $15 a day, plus I get the run of the house while I'm there. =D Seriously--I can have friends over, come and go as I please, use their interwebs, watch their cable, wash my clothes in their washing machine, cook on their gas stove (something I've never done!--and may not bother trying, lol), anything. Just so long as the precious kitties get fed on time. Personally I think these cats are SPOILLLLLLLLED, but hey, I'm making $105, so who am I to judge? If I lived in a house like that I'd probably spoil my cats, too. (I told my sister how much they were paying me, and she was all "Oh my GOD, some people are stupid." And I was like, "Yeah, but I'm getting paid for it!" Lol.)

It's a nice house, a REALLY nice house--according to Dad it was featured in some magazine once, Southern Living or some such. (Yes, I Googled, no, I can't link. =( ) The husband of the couple who owns it is a lawyer (I know him from Lions). I would like a house kind of like it someday, only with more colors--the palette is like...muted sage green, goldenrod, taupe, and ecru, with a splash of dark, muted red here and there. The most exciting color was the hunter green in the one office. I found out the other night, though, that it had been decorated by an interior decorator (another Lion, as is the man who owns the construction company that built it...lol), so that explains the nicey-nice-ness of it all.

So. Wow. Random tangent. Sleep nao.

Quote from the song I'm listening to: "Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly." Good advice.