Hot Diggity Dog!

So, last weekend was pretty boring. I managed to record Monsters, Inc. I also tried to record The Lost World: Jurassic Park, but it looks like it either got preempted, or I had set the timer for the wrong channel, because I only got three hours of shows like The Family Guy or The Simpsons. No matter. It's supposed to be showing again this coming Sunday, so I'll get it then.

Sunday, we had coldcut sandwiches for dinner at Mom & Dad's. Yum! Kayla actually had two sandwiches, which is an accomplishment, considering she doesn't eat much besides candy.

Yesterday was pretty normal. After work, it was so hot outside, and I knew I had to fill up the car soon, but it was just too hot. I didn't even go to Dr. M's office for my allergy shots.

Today I had my 2-year review at work. I totally got an awesome raise! Once I make the switch to my new bank, I'm going to have the direct deposit do $100 to my new savings account, and the rest to my checking account. I figure I should be able to visit Heather in Arizona, at least, by next Valentine's Day.

I was pretty bored this evening, after I finished figuring out my new estimated budget (I'll probably have even more than I figured on--it's a pretty conservative estimate). So, I decided to check out the neighborhood pool. I put on my favorite swimsuit, which is technically too small, but my other swimsuit has shoulder straps and could've fallen off easier. Then, I went swimming for about half an hour. After that, I walked back to my place, carrying my shoes, jeans and shirt and with a towel over my shoulders. I wasn't about the put my clothes back on over the bathing suit--I'd've been sweating like a pig before I'd walked a block!

When I got back, I was bored, so I thought I might play some piano. The angle was all wrong, because I had to stand up to play, so I got frustrated from the forced slowness of my playing. Then I realized, "Hey! I just got a raise! I think I'll buy myself a bench to celebrate!" So, I looked up some benches online, called the Music & Arts Center to make sure they had some, and went. I got a bench, a sustain pedal ('cause it doesn't sound like a real piano without one), and a music light. The light needs three triple-A batteries though, and I only have two. Maybe I'll go to Wal-Mart and get some.

Holy, Frickin' Heck, It's Been a While . . .

Let's see if I can remember even just a fraction of what's happened since June 12. I reckon I can probably pick out the highlights, at least.

The day after my last entry, I was asked to help out in the mailroom/printshop at work. Larry (one of my bosses) asked me (with promise of a nice raise come review time) to see how they do things, and see if I could help them be more efficient. So far, the only thing I can think of that will help them to even stay afloat, much less be caught up and stay that way, is if there are two more people hired. One more for the print shop, and the other new person would sort of float between the print shop and the mailroom, sorting out the orders, boxing up the larger ones to go UPS, and then putting the smaller ones on the table to go via USPS Media Mail.

I have to say though, that working in the mailroom has been kind of fun. There's always something to do, so it's not boring, and I actually like doing Judy's job (the Media Mail stuff). Heck, I might ask to be put over there permanently, if they can find someone else (or more than one someone else) to do my current job(s).

Yesterday, I went to the Red Cross to make a blood donation, but I didn't have enough iron in my blood (low by one percent) to donate yesterday, so they had to differ me. That's okay, I'll just drink lots of orange juice (there's iron in there) and wait until the next time I get a call from them.

After the Red Cross, I went to the pool house and finally got my pool pass. One of the Jens has the Guest Pass though. I don't really want to go swimming alone, so I was thinking of getting Anna in with the Guest Pass every now and then, so before I can do that, I have to figure out which Jen has the pass. I'll probably ask them sometime in the next week or two, or after my birthday (I've asked for a gift card so that I can buy a bathing suit that fits).

Despite not being allowed to give blood yesterday, I did manage to accomplish something besides just getting my pool pass. I managed to wash, fold, and put away all of my laundry (including my set of black sheets) in the same afternoon. While I waited for the machines, I watched three movies: Yours, Mine and Ours, Two Weeks' Notice, and The Wedding Planner. I also started a fourth movie while I put away my jeans, but most of that movie I only watched--it didn't take that long to put the jeans away. The fourth movie was Zoom Academy for Super Heroes. I also watched that movie again this afternoon (it was still in the player when I went to sleep, so when I got up I decided to watch it while I ate my breakfast/lunch).

Today, Kayla and I went to Mom & Dad's for dinner (as usual for me). We had sauté with green beans, rice, and peanut sauce. YUM!

After dinner, we sat around for a while, then Anna left to go hang out with some guy, and Dad, Kayla, Jason and I watched Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves on the projector screen. Kayla and I just got back about a half an hour ago.

Wednesday, I have off of work for the 4th of July, and then Thursday is my 2-year review at work. I hope I get a really good raise. I've managed to survive five months here on my own--now I want to start really living here.

I'm also taking paid vacation on Friday the 13th so that I can see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I don't know whether or not Dad is going to take us all (minus Kimba) to see the movie, like he's done for the last four, but it would be pretty cool to follow that tradition. If he doesn't though, then Kayla, Jason O. and his brother Nathan are planning on going to a midnight showing, and I might just join them. I still haven't gotten to see the two movies I wanted to see last month yet: Ocean's 13 and Nancy Drew. Maybe I'll be able to catch them on TV-Links.

My birthday this year falls on a Monday, so I figured I could use another three-day weekend this month and asked for that day off as well. So that'll be three out of almost five weeks this month that I will only have to work for four days instead of five. Sweet!

I haven't figured out what I want to do for my birthday yet though. I put on the list that I gave to my family that I wanted them to come here to my place for dinner on the 29th instead of me going there, and I was originally thinking about making lasagna . . . but it's been so hot lately, I don't think that would be a good idea--tasty, but not a good idea.

There aren't any good movies coming out on the weekend before or after my birthday, but The Bourne Ultimatum gets released to theaters on August 4.

Advice

A word to the wise: if you're going to be biking more than a few blocks to the grocery store, then eat breakfast first!

Seriously. I was out of milk, so I couldn't eat cereal on Saturday morning, and I didn't want any fruit--I still have half of a grapefruit and a whole bunch of honeydew in the refridgerator. So, I grabbed my waterbottle, and started on my way to Wal*Mart (to get some sunblock and a couple other things) before heading to Church Street so that I could find out how long the trip would take me.

Cumulatively (I made a couple of stops along the way) it took me about 40-45 minutes to get to the building where I work from my house. And by that time, I was--literally--about to pass out. I'm going to have to get into a little better shape before I even think about biking to work on a regular basis. That's kind of a bummer, because that was my main plan for getting into shape in the first place. Ah well. I guess I'll just have to try and go swimming (and bike to the pool) more often than I usually do.

When I got there, I called my parents' house, and asked Mom if her truck was working. It wasn't. So, I asked if Dad or Uncle Andy were there, but it was only Mom and Jason at home. I decided, belatedly, to get something to eat, so I told her that I was going to get some lunch at one of the restaurants nearby. She said she'd have Dad or Uncle Andy call me when they got home.

I walked the bike to Beans, Bagels and More, this little coffee/sandwich shop about a block from my work, and got a bowl of fruit and another bottle of water. Of course, I didn't actually manage to order right away, because there were people in line ahead of me and I had to sit down because I was starting to pass out again. I felt better after I ate though.

I sat outside at one of their little bistro-type tables to eat my fruit (a combination of cateloupe, strawberries and grapes), and sat there for a few minutes after I was done.

After that, I really was feeling a lot better, but I knew I wouldn't be able to make the ride back--it's mostly up-hill, and just that little bit of fruit didn't give me that much energy. Not to mention, my bike only shifts up, it's stuck in 6th gear (there are 7), and I can't figure out how to get it to down-shift--believe me, I've tried. So, I decided to walk the bike back home.

Around 6th street or so, I called Mom again to let her know not to worry about having Dad or Uncle Andy call. I made it to the pool house in my neighborhood (had to find out what to do about my pool pass--they said go to dearbought.com and e-mail the pool committee) an hour and twenty minutes after I left the restaurant.

When I got home, I was so beat that all I did was lay down and read for the rest of the day. I took a nap around 5pm, and then woke up at 9pm. Then I continued reading for another few hours before going back to sleep. I needed to buy a few groceries, but I just didn't have the energy to go to the store.

Sunday was Mom's birthday dinner (her actual birthday was on Saturday). We had Hawaiian Haystacks--yum! That was the first time, in the whole decade that any of us had lived there, that we'd had that particular meal at my parents' house. We'd had it before at Grandma's, but never at Mom & Dad's.

I took three containers' worth of leftovers, and then Kimba (who had come over to my place earlier that afternoon and was dismayed when I told her how far in the hole I am and that I still needed groceries) told me to talk to her before I left.

Anna, Jason and I watched Stranger than Fiction on Anna's computer/TV through a site that Patrick J. showed me a week or two ago. It was actually a lot better than I anticipated, and I was anticipating that it would at least be really good.

So anyway, I talked to Kimba as I was going to leave, and she, Dad and Anna gave me a whole bunch of food that was just sitting in the pantry, not getting eaten. They even gave me a gallon of milk. I probably won't have to go shopping for anything except butter and ground beef (they gave me Manwich and boxed mac 'n' cheese, but I forgot that you need butter for the mac 'n' cheese--the last three sticks I had from the banana bread got all moldy a couple weeks ago, so I had to get rid of them--and meat for the Manwich) for at least three weeks to a month or more.

When I got home from work/allergy shots yesterday, there was a whole bunch of stuff on the kitchen table. Jen C. was getting rid of some candles and a whole bunch of great movies. I took quite a few of the movies that were on the table, including VHS copies of The Day After Tomorrow and The Best Two Years. Now, I don't have to worry about recording the first one, and I have a copies of two of my favorite movies!