Until the Stars Are All Alight

What have I not told you...?

Ah, yes, Matt. The date went really well, but when it was over I dropped him off at his work, and the lady working there was on the phone and said, "Matt and his girlfriend just walked in," and he kind of freaked out about that. "Um, no, she's not--!" Turns out that a string of psycho exes have turned him against the idea of having another girlfriend anytime soon. So we're just friends. *sigh* Again.

And yeah, it hurts. When I told Nico about it, he told me that I got my hopes up again, but I pointed out that this time I asked Matt on a DATE, was very specific about it being a DATE, and he COULD have said no, or that he would only hang out as friends because he was going through a no-girlfriend period. (Which, honestly, I can understand and I do respect. When Ann Landers was alive she would tell people that the common factor in all your failed relationships is you, so when you break up with someone you should always re-evaluate yourself before entering the dating pool again.) And if he had said that, it might have stung a little, but I wouldn't have been nearly as upset. (Because I really do always get my hopes up, probably more than a lot of people realize.)

(But there is a large part of me that wants to hang out with him in the hopes that he works out his issues and decides to have a girlfriend sooner or later, and that by that time he's such good friends with me that he decides that I would be the perfect person to try again with.)

He came to the Taco Bell Christmas party with me, which was cool because he knew a couple of other people there (Rackle, anyway). I had a good time, he seemed to have a good time. And Rackle: I'm 98% certain that you're one of the people with a picture of me and him on your camera! I know Hannah had one, I think you were the other person.

I also saw him on New Year's Eve. We were so dead at Taco Bell that everyone got a long break, and I spent mine with Matt down at his work. ^_^

I'm getting ahead of myself, though.

We spent Christmas in St. Louis, which was really, really nice. Kaleb's starting to really talk, as in string simple sentences together, so that's constantly entertaining. I got him and Levi a BIG book of Thomas the Tank Engine stories, and when he saw it he yelled, "I like Thomas!" ^_^ My heart melted. *WaFF* He also said my name, which was a big deal for me. Levi's still just on words, but they always have been like that--Kaleb doing everything first, then Levi picking it up a few weeks later. (Everything. Crawling, walking, even their weights.)

I really didn't get much, but we exchange names, so I only get one present from among my siblings, and then Mom and Dad may get me a few little things, but I told them to just take whatever money they would have spent on me and give me the cash so I could put it toward the MP3 player I wanted. (And to tell all the grandparents and anyone else who might ask what I wanted the same thing.) So between my parents and grandparents I got $120. ^_^ From the name exchange I got a giftset box of bath stuff from some place called Cottage Cupboard Gifts. Which is apparently what Jerry and Sherri got everyone, but the stuff is really really nice. Usually when I get a set of bath stuff and it's different scents, there's at least one that I don't like the smell of, but I liked ALL of this. All the candles, all the bath gel, the sugar scrub, and especially the roll-on parfum. ^_^ (Other people like that one, too, I keep getting compliments on it!) At any rate I'm checking out their website.

I got a cold from Maddy, enough of one that even though I had the Wednesday after Christmas off to recuperate, I ended up calling in sick Thursday--I was running a low-grade fever and felt like absolute shit. I did discover the joys of the disposable thermometer--they're made out of thick paper, laminated, and there's a group of green dots on one end. You put it in your mouth and, much like a mood ring, some of the dots turn black. The last one to turn black indicates your temperature. You use the same one until you're done being sick, then throw it away. ^_^ My mom called my Aunt Laura, who's a nurse and married to a doctor, and got me a prescription for antibiotics that I'm STILL taking (though I only have four to go!).

Had to work New Year's Eve. I don't normally work Sundays (it's blacked out for me on the schedule) so I didn't think to request it off, and everyone else DID, so they asked me to work. So I agreed, so long as it was just the ONE Sunday. (And like I said, I ended up getting an extra-long break anyway.) Dad wasn't too happy, but I got a lot of extra hours. I'm sure that I got at least four hours of overtime this week.

(Have I mentioned that Taco Bell is really short right now? We went from 36 employees to 24 in the space of, like, three weeks. I suggested to Ken that there might be, you know, a REASON for that, and he just laughed at me. But seriously, I bet I'm not the only person there who feels like they're often treated like shit. I know I'm not in at least one case, but I'm not naming names.)

I tried to make after-work plans with Matt, but he got off before I did and had other tentative plans. By the time I got off work he was gone so I ran Nico over to his car (which was over at his roommate's workplace), then went to Wal-Mart, and got there right at midnight. (I hope it isn't an ill omen that the first work I spoke in the new year was "F**K!" because I dropped my phone inside my car...I'm a bad little girl in the swearing department.) Bought my MP3 player and then went to Nico's, where we toasted the New Year with rum and coke (have I mentioned that I like Captain Morgan?), then spent three hours loading his entire music collection into my MP3 player. (Granted, that included the time to put the program onto his computer, but still!)

OH! YEAH! I got my contacts a week ago Friday! Took twenty minutes to get them in, but I haven't really had any problems with them. I see fine and look better. ^_^ No pics yet. Hey, Nico-ooo! You with the digital camera! ^_- Anyway, I'm still wearing the trials, I'm going in tomorrow (well, today by the time you read this) to get the permanent ones. They're weekly-wear disposables, as in I wear them for a whole week--sleep in them and everything--then throw them away. Since my follow-up appointment is more than a week after I originally got them, I had to take them out one night and put them back in in the morning. Only took ten minutes, lol. Hopefully with time and practice I'll be one of those people that can pop them in and out without--well, lol--blinking. (Though when I told one of my fellow waitresses at the Steak House that I got them, she started singing the praises of Lasik surgery, and now I want THAT. It'll be a few years before I could even think about that, financing or no.)

Annnnd...the only other thing to really update about (and by far, IMHO, the biggest deal)--OMFG I'M MOVING INTO MY APARTMENT ON WEDNESDAY!!!!!

I had a scare last Wednesday because Kristi, the landlady, said she was waiting on someone else to call her back (someone who had a family and therefore would get first priority on the waiting list) to say she wanted the apartment, but by the time I got off work Kristi had decided to rent to me, as the lady hadn't called her back. A little more paperwork later she said I could be in as soon as Monday, then on Friday I got the last of the paperwork back to her, and she told me that they wouldn't be able to clean the carpets until Tuesday, so I would be able to get in on Wednesday. The utilities are already in my name (or will be by the time you read this) and I'm getting the keys Wesnesday. I took home a carload of empty boxes from Taco Bell (you would not believe the cardboard we throw away, really) on Friday night, and I figure (weather permitting, the forecast is calling for snow Saturday night!! I love snow, but it seems to be coming at the most inconvenient times lately!) I'll be all moved in by Sunday night. It'd be sooner if I could take off work, but as it is I'm going to take a carload each time I go into town for work and drop it off. Saturday I'll take some extra clothes and enough stuff to survive the weekend just in case it does snow. ^_^

This may be the first time that I really really really really don't want it to snow!

So I'm kind of playing it by ear as far as the actual moving of my twenty years' worth of crap. Once I get settled in, Nico has agreed to loan me his digicam to take pics (and maybe video...?) of my new place.

I've got a two-bedroom (there are no one-bedrooms), and the second one was (in my mind, up until a day or so ago) going to be my studio (ahh, to paint again!), but the more I think about the stuff that I have in storage--under my bed and stuff--the more I think that maybe it'll be a storage room, too, lol.

But we shall see. When I actually see the place and get a sense of the layout, I'm sure I'll have a Zen moment and know EXACTLY where to put all my crap, lol.

Anyway. It's quarter to five, and I want to get up early enough to have a rather copious amount of time online. So good night and good luck. ^_^

PS: I'm actually keeping my New Year's Resolution this year--to move out!! ^_^