So I completed my first week of work at my "new" job! Things were pretty much the same. The extra time did make a big difference in how much I was able to get done, and I was consistently ahead of my work. It was very nice! Tomorrow I get my new desk, so that should be exciting as well!
I signed my lease on Thursday. It is scary to have that be official! There are still 6 days where I will be homeless. They said that guy that currently lives in my future place may move out early, and if he does they'll let me know. However, I can't really plan ahead for that, because I have no idea when I'll know. So, I'm going have to figure out a good back up plan. I have sooo many decoration ideas floating through my head, which is frustrating because I can't do anything about them! I also don't want these ideas to become fantasy instead of reality (because I'm thinking about a time when it is just fantasy). I would HATE to not actually decorate my place and make it feel like a home, so I have to do everything in my power to make sure I actually decorate it and make it look nice.
I had a nice simple weekend up here. Lindsay stayed over Friday night so we were able to catch up and watch a really good movie (Chaos Theory). Saturday I played Sims which is always fun, and hanged (hung?) out with Rachael last night. It was really fun and dandy up until then. Today... I over Simsed myself. I could feel that I was getting bored, staring at a screen too much, etc. I also am feeling a little nauseous (I think it is from drinking juice from yesterday...). Now I feel really off, and I know I need to clean, I want to do something besides stare at a screen but don't feel like doing anything in particular. I hate this ansty feeling!
So I'm watching Smallville. Not a solution by any means, but kind of a distraction. I figure I will do some dishes, do some laundry, eat some food, and maybe read or something non-electronic and see if I feel better.
Next to figure out - Memorial day weekend! It's only one week away and I still don't know if I'm going to Spokane! CRAP!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Baby steps!
Well today was a pretty good day. I felt that about the weekend too. I could get used to this!
This weekend had a good combination of productive (turned in an application, did some errands, did some cleaning) and fun (a lengthly, fun and kind of drunk conversation with Rachael, visiting with Brian and Britt, skyping with Laura).
I'm a big fan of the quote: the key to happiness is: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to.
Despite being single and low on my # of friends, the quality of those friendships and the relationship with my family leaves me satisfied in the "love" category. I always look forward to trips, and I've been eagerly awaiting Anna coming to town, so I have had something to look forward to. The true cause of my rut is the "something to do". I work a lot, and that is doing something. However I love to be busy in my "real life" too (ie. a fun way!). That said, I would never refuse improvement in any of these areas.
That is why though I was not short on things to look forward to - getting an apartment does feel great. There is so much to look forward to! In fact, I think there are 2 or 3 late night hours in which I'm trying to sleep but can't because my head is buzzing - things to look forward to.
Ok, that was a ramble, but my point is that this whole apartment thing is great just because it improves one of the three fields on my current life motto.
In other news..... After only 4 business hours --- 4!!! ---- they called me to tell me that they had approved my application. I was correct in believing that I did not need a cosigner. They are going to try and work something out in terms of moving out/in dates so that there is an overlap. I told them that if there is nothing that they can do, I would still want the apartment and I could figure something else out. I turned in my deposit after work today. I have an appointment on Thursday (as early as I could get it -- 9:30 am -- which is late and means I'm going to have to work late this week) to sign the lease.
This is awesome and exciting and makes me so happy, because clearly just 24 hours ago I was worried that after all this excitement and imagining, I wouldnt' get it. However, with excited feelings also comes anxieties. When I told my coworkers which building I would be in, they commented on the fanciness and condo-ness. (Condom, Laura!). I still wonder how I feel so wealthy on a salary that they consider low, and barely making ends meet. I worry that my policy of SAVE everything and SPEND nothing is being ruined by this apartment, and that I will raise my cost of living bit by bit until I consider my pay to be low.
Worst of all - I fear what I cannot control. What if I get laid off? Last in, first out - certainly the policy of WWU. If someone with more seniority gets laid off, they can "bump" anyone out with the same classification - even if they have no idea how to do their job. There are only a couple other people at the university with my classification, which is good. Furthermore, I'd hope that my pay is low enough to other people that they would rather find a job elsewhere rather than bump me out. However... what if.....
Ok, now that this post has gone every which way - the true reason I am posting has nothing to do with quotes, happiness, apartments or pay. It has to do with driving. Notice how I wrote earlier that I dropped the deposit off after work? Yea - that was me - driving! For those of you who know me - I don't drive often. It's not that I don't like driving - in fact I often find myself loving driving. My problem is an anxiety about getting in to the car. Driving in unknown areas, getting into situations that I don't quite now how to get out of. For example - car trouble, an accident, or driving into a tight parking space and being unable to maneuver out. Therefore I stick to the same routes that I know - the same way to get from Edmonds to Bellingham and the same routes around Edmonds. But... get this.... I have never driven in downtown Bellingham. Well, before today that is. I have driven to the freeway and back, which is a short route not near downtown. I have driven through downtown countless times in other peoples cars. That is why even though I had never myself driven to my property managements buildings, I knew all the tricks about all the lights, all the intersections, the best route, etc.
Anyway, its weird for me because I know that I can drive. I know that I like to drive, once I'm in the car. I just have this anxiety about getting into it that is hard to overcome. But today I overcame it even if just by a little 20 minute errand. Baby steps, I say! And what this means to me? That once I live up here by myself I don't have to be a hermit ... I can choose to go on drives, to see places, go to the park, meet people at their place instead of mine. I can go outside and do things.
This weekend had a good combination of productive (turned in an application, did some errands, did some cleaning) and fun (a lengthly, fun and kind of drunk conversation with Rachael, visiting with Brian and Britt, skyping with Laura).
I'm a big fan of the quote: the key to happiness is: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to.
Despite being single and low on my # of friends, the quality of those friendships and the relationship with my family leaves me satisfied in the "love" category. I always look forward to trips, and I've been eagerly awaiting Anna coming to town, so I have had something to look forward to. The true cause of my rut is the "something to do". I work a lot, and that is doing something. However I love to be busy in my "real life" too (ie. a fun way!). That said, I would never refuse improvement in any of these areas.
That is why though I was not short on things to look forward to - getting an apartment does feel great. There is so much to look forward to! In fact, I think there are 2 or 3 late night hours in which I'm trying to sleep but can't because my head is buzzing - things to look forward to.
Ok, that was a ramble, but my point is that this whole apartment thing is great just because it improves one of the three fields on my current life motto.
In other news..... After only 4 business hours --- 4!!! ---- they called me to tell me that they had approved my application. I was correct in believing that I did not need a cosigner. They are going to try and work something out in terms of moving out/in dates so that there is an overlap. I told them that if there is nothing that they can do, I would still want the apartment and I could figure something else out. I turned in my deposit after work today. I have an appointment on Thursday (as early as I could get it -- 9:30 am -- which is late and means I'm going to have to work late this week) to sign the lease.
This is awesome and exciting and makes me so happy, because clearly just 24 hours ago I was worried that after all this excitement and imagining, I wouldnt' get it. However, with excited feelings also comes anxieties. When I told my coworkers which building I would be in, they commented on the fanciness and condo-ness. (Condom, Laura!). I still wonder how I feel so wealthy on a salary that they consider low, and barely making ends meet. I worry that my policy of SAVE everything and SPEND nothing is being ruined by this apartment, and that I will raise my cost of living bit by bit until I consider my pay to be low.
Worst of all - I fear what I cannot control. What if I get laid off? Last in, first out - certainly the policy of WWU. If someone with more seniority gets laid off, they can "bump" anyone out with the same classification - even if they have no idea how to do their job. There are only a couple other people at the university with my classification, which is good. Furthermore, I'd hope that my pay is low enough to other people that they would rather find a job elsewhere rather than bump me out. However... what if.....
Ok, now that this post has gone every which way - the true reason I am posting has nothing to do with quotes, happiness, apartments or pay. It has to do with driving. Notice how I wrote earlier that I dropped the deposit off after work? Yea - that was me - driving! For those of you who know me - I don't drive often. It's not that I don't like driving - in fact I often find myself loving driving. My problem is an anxiety about getting in to the car. Driving in unknown areas, getting into situations that I don't quite now how to get out of. For example - car trouble, an accident, or driving into a tight parking space and being unable to maneuver out. Therefore I stick to the same routes that I know - the same way to get from Edmonds to Bellingham and the same routes around Edmonds. But... get this.... I have never driven in downtown Bellingham. Well, before today that is. I have driven to the freeway and back, which is a short route not near downtown. I have driven through downtown countless times in other peoples cars. That is why even though I had never myself driven to my property managements buildings, I knew all the tricks about all the lights, all the intersections, the best route, etc.
Anyway, its weird for me because I know that I can drive. I know that I like to drive, once I'm in the car. I just have this anxiety about getting into it that is hard to overcome. But today I overcame it even if just by a little 20 minute errand. Baby steps, I say! And what this means to me? That once I live up here by myself I don't have to be a hermit ... I can choose to go on drives, to see places, go to the park, meet people at their place instead of mine. I can go outside and do things.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Floor plan
When my property management company had a multi-apartment open house, I only looked at two of the three studios on display. The third, I figured, was out of my price range and not somewhere I would choose to live. Yesterday, I submitted an application to a unit in that building. I knew what the square footage was, but was unable to imagine what that meant. It seemed big, but what if the floorplan actually made it seem smaller? How big would my bed be in the nook? Would it fit just my bed, or could it fit other furniture as well? I could see how the kitchen is laid out, but couldn't imagine how big that would feel.
So, I pulled out the loooong ignored math nerd in me to figure it out. I had a shape and a total square footage - the scale should be easy to determine, I figured. I dissected the shape into shapes that were a bit easier to work with - rectangles and triangles. Instead of creating a unit length and using variables, I used pixel coordinates. Since paint does not let you rotate a line without unintentionally changing the length, I did not think using a unit for measurement would be effective.
I calculated the lengths (and then areas) of all of the pieces of the apartment. I added those together to find the total area, in pixels. I square rooted that to find the dimensions of the sqaure equivalent of the apartment. I did the same for the square footage I had. I found the ratio was 19 pixels for every foot.
That made it easy to go back and add feet to the floor plan. To double and triple check my work, I recreated a few different rectangle/triangle layouts and made sure the numbers worked out to approximately 615 SF. I did not expect it to be perfect, especially since I cannot count on the complete accuracy of the floor plan (since it does not itself have measurements), nor could I be certain of the width of the walls. In addition, the image was just slightly angled, meaning a few numbers could be a little bit off. That aside, with the numbers I found, the approximate square footage is 620 SF. That is plenty close to me.
I will not count on it being this big. Instead, I will be able to imagine if I can barely fit a bed into this nook, or if I will have ample space for a whole bedrooms worth of furniture. Here is the floorplan with measurements included:
I have requested that Laura do this problem separately, and see if we have similar results. I did this math quickly, meaning the pixel - SF ratio could be off. Furthermore, rounding may have changed everything as well. I am simply going to assume that the apartment is just smaller than these estimates, but close enough that I can use these to better comprehend the layout.
The kitchen makes sense with these numbers: the appliances are about the right size, and it seems to be about the same scale as my current kitchen. I would say that this one will be about the same size or a bit smaller, however my current place has a lot of floor space, but only an L of counters. I think this U of counters will be better for storage space. The bathroom also seems plausible with these numbers. I don't generally measure bathtubs, but 5 ft long seems approximately the length of a bath. The nook has the dimensions of a bedroom, not a bed, which makes me happy. Even if each side were a foot or two shorter, there would still be room for a bed +. I was worried that my table wouldn't fit at all in the little dining area (to the right of the living area, "above" the kitchen). That area is bigger than I assumed, so I may be able to make my current dining table fit. I may still decide to opt for a smaller table with a different shape, but I can wait to see how it looks first.
For those of you who read this but haven't seen this layout before -- I know it is kind of weird. BUT, I really like it. This whole building has strangely shaped units. This unit should be spacious (unless my math was sooo off that everything is half as big as this), it includes extra closet space, and has a secluded nook. I could still even use the bookshelf divider if I want - I am in love with the rather popular styled shelf with perfect squares. I am not quite sure how the space to the right of the door looks, but it appears like I could use that for shoes, coats or something similar. I have a balcony instead of a porch, which is perfect! I know from experience that I do not use porches as frequently as I use balconies (privacy reasons), plus I feel much more safe off the ground.
Ok, I have to stop talking about this place now. I have yet to sign a lease, and if I am not approved -- or more likely -- someone beats me to the apartment, I will be devastated. I have to wait to plan and imagine until things are more official. It would be much wiser for me to develop backup plans, other units which would be just as good. Oy, the thought pains me.
***Crosses fingers***
So, I pulled out the loooong ignored math nerd in me to figure it out. I had a shape and a total square footage - the scale should be easy to determine, I figured. I dissected the shape into shapes that were a bit easier to work with - rectangles and triangles. Instead of creating a unit length and using variables, I used pixel coordinates. Since paint does not let you rotate a line without unintentionally changing the length, I did not think using a unit for measurement would be effective.
I calculated the lengths (and then areas) of all of the pieces of the apartment. I added those together to find the total area, in pixels. I square rooted that to find the dimensions of the sqaure equivalent of the apartment. I did the same for the square footage I had. I found the ratio was 19 pixels for every foot.
That made it easy to go back and add feet to the floor plan. To double and triple check my work, I recreated a few different rectangle/triangle layouts and made sure the numbers worked out to approximately 615 SF. I did not expect it to be perfect, especially since I cannot count on the complete accuracy of the floor plan (since it does not itself have measurements), nor could I be certain of the width of the walls. In addition, the image was just slightly angled, meaning a few numbers could be a little bit off. That aside, with the numbers I found, the approximate square footage is 620 SF. That is plenty close to me.
I will not count on it being this big. Instead, I will be able to imagine if I can barely fit a bed into this nook, or if I will have ample space for a whole bedrooms worth of furniture. Here is the floorplan with measurements included:
I have requested that Laura do this problem separately, and see if we have similar results. I did this math quickly, meaning the pixel - SF ratio could be off. Furthermore, rounding may have changed everything as well. I am simply going to assume that the apartment is just smaller than these estimates, but close enough that I can use these to better comprehend the layout.The kitchen makes sense with these numbers: the appliances are about the right size, and it seems to be about the same scale as my current kitchen. I would say that this one will be about the same size or a bit smaller, however my current place has a lot of floor space, but only an L of counters. I think this U of counters will be better for storage space. The bathroom also seems plausible with these numbers. I don't generally measure bathtubs, but 5 ft long seems approximately the length of a bath. The nook has the dimensions of a bedroom, not a bed, which makes me happy. Even if each side were a foot or two shorter, there would still be room for a bed +. I was worried that my table wouldn't fit at all in the little dining area (to the right of the living area, "above" the kitchen). That area is bigger than I assumed, so I may be able to make my current dining table fit. I may still decide to opt for a smaller table with a different shape, but I can wait to see how it looks first.
For those of you who read this but haven't seen this layout before -- I know it is kind of weird. BUT, I really like it. This whole building has strangely shaped units. This unit should be spacious (unless my math was sooo off that everything is half as big as this), it includes extra closet space, and has a secluded nook. I could still even use the bookshelf divider if I want - I am in love with the rather popular styled shelf with perfect squares. I am not quite sure how the space to the right of the door looks, but it appears like I could use that for shoes, coats or something similar. I have a balcony instead of a porch, which is perfect! I know from experience that I do not use porches as frequently as I use balconies (privacy reasons), plus I feel much more safe off the ground.
Ok, I have to stop talking about this place now. I have yet to sign a lease, and if I am not approved -- or more likely -- someone beats me to the apartment, I will be devastated. I have to wait to plan and imagine until things are more official. It would be much wiser for me to develop backup plans, other units which would be just as good. Oy, the thought pains me.
***Crosses fingers***
Saturday, May 14, 2011
A turned in application
As you guys know, I have been able to create a list of possible apartments, but have had difficulty narrowing it down into a first, second and third option. This morning I talked with both Laura and Rachael about my options, and the wonderful people they are - we were able to narrow it down to my top choice. So first, a brief summary:
There are three different categories that were on the table.
1) South side of campus + cheap + small;
2) South side of campus + expensive + big;
3) North side of campus + expensive + small.
I like the idea of living on the north side, but as you can tell, it may not be the best deal for the buck. I thought that cheap was the most important factor, so I have been thinking that option number 1 was what I was going to go with. The only issue was the small factor. I was worried that I just wouldn't be happy there. I have a lot of furniture, and I don't necessary want to get rid of it all. There were two different complexes that were on the table, and they had the same floor plan. It would be awkward to fit in my dining room table, and I would barely, if at all, be able to fit in my couch and TV. I just didn't like the layout. To make it worse, the kitchen did not look aesthetically pleasing.
Does this mean I am willing to pay an extra $120 a month to live in a larger, nicer apartment? That I didn't know. I know that I could afford to do that. But wouldn't I want to save that extra money? This is where the council from Laura and Rachael came in. They pointed out that I should still be able to save a good deal of money even with this rate. Furthermore, it will make me happier to live in this place. I know that I want a "real" place, where I can make it feel like I home. Though I like my current place and I get along well with the roomie, one of the things I am looking forward to most is making my new place feel like a grown-up home. Clean, decorated and fancy. Currently my bedroom is a hodgepodge of old furniture that I don't like and random decorations on the wall that don't please me. Not only could I have fun decorating it, I could also take pictures and post them here!
So, as you can probably guess, I chose nice, big and expensive.
There are downsides as well. I first asked about a particular apartment, however that apartment is currently vacant. That means I can't very well prelease it for August! That was the cheaper place (probably because they want it go get rented), so I had to agree to an extra $20 per month (making it $120 more than the cheapest option instead of $100). The square footage is a great deal larger than the small places, however it still isn't the biggest available. Only $70 less than my current 2 bedroom, it is about 150 less square feet. (I rationalize that I probably don't need that extra square feet, and it will seem bigger if I can see it all at once). The biggest down side is the timing. This place that I applied for is only available 4 days after my current lease ends. This means I would be homeless for a bit!
The employee at the property management place did not, himself, have the power to give me special arrangements -- but he said others do and it is possible something could be arranged. Since I live in one of their apartments currently, they may be able to extend my lease my one week. I don't know if someone plans on moving into my place though, making that impossible! I think that it would be worth it for me to still get this place even if it means I have to rent a storage unit for a week, or call upon Lindsay to use her (possibly unoccupied) apartment for a little bit. I don't know. It sucks, but it may not be a big problem in the end.
So, the only other problem is that nothing is certain yet. This is the only "small" studio in this building left. I asked him if it was still available, and he said yes. That doesn't mean someone else hasn't submitted an application for it and that it could be claimed by someone else! It is possible that even after all of this worry and anxiety, that I still won't get it. I did not submit a cosigner agreement because I do not believe that I need one. I don't have much of a credit history though, so I may not quality even though I have a steady income. If they review my application and determine that I do need a cosigner, they can't process my application until they get it.
So... that is the update. First off, I hope that the place is still available and that I can claim it. Secondly, I hope that we can rearrange the dates a bit so that there is an overlap. Thirdly, I hope I made the right decision.
I should formulate a little back up plan in my head: where should I live if I can't get this place? Once I've decided that I am willing to pay the extra money each month to live in a nicer, bigger place, going back to the smaller place is kind of disappointing. I don't know if I over-think these things, or if decisions really are this big, important, and difficult.
There are three different categories that were on the table.
1) South side of campus + cheap + small;
2) South side of campus + expensive + big;
3) North side of campus + expensive + small.
I like the idea of living on the north side, but as you can tell, it may not be the best deal for the buck. I thought that cheap was the most important factor, so I have been thinking that option number 1 was what I was going to go with. The only issue was the small factor. I was worried that I just wouldn't be happy there. I have a lot of furniture, and I don't necessary want to get rid of it all. There were two different complexes that were on the table, and they had the same floor plan. It would be awkward to fit in my dining room table, and I would barely, if at all, be able to fit in my couch and TV. I just didn't like the layout. To make it worse, the kitchen did not look aesthetically pleasing.
Does this mean I am willing to pay an extra $120 a month to live in a larger, nicer apartment? That I didn't know. I know that I could afford to do that. But wouldn't I want to save that extra money? This is where the council from Laura and Rachael came in. They pointed out that I should still be able to save a good deal of money even with this rate. Furthermore, it will make me happier to live in this place. I know that I want a "real" place, where I can make it feel like I home. Though I like my current place and I get along well with the roomie, one of the things I am looking forward to most is making my new place feel like a grown-up home. Clean, decorated and fancy. Currently my bedroom is a hodgepodge of old furniture that I don't like and random decorations on the wall that don't please me. Not only could I have fun decorating it, I could also take pictures and post them here!
So, as you can probably guess, I chose nice, big and expensive.
There are downsides as well. I first asked about a particular apartment, however that apartment is currently vacant. That means I can't very well prelease it for August! That was the cheaper place (probably because they want it go get rented), so I had to agree to an extra $20 per month (making it $120 more than the cheapest option instead of $100). The square footage is a great deal larger than the small places, however it still isn't the biggest available. Only $70 less than my current 2 bedroom, it is about 150 less square feet. (I rationalize that I probably don't need that extra square feet, and it will seem bigger if I can see it all at once). The biggest down side is the timing. This place that I applied for is only available 4 days after my current lease ends. This means I would be homeless for a bit!
The employee at the property management place did not, himself, have the power to give me special arrangements -- but he said others do and it is possible something could be arranged. Since I live in one of their apartments currently, they may be able to extend my lease my one week. I don't know if someone plans on moving into my place though, making that impossible! I think that it would be worth it for me to still get this place even if it means I have to rent a storage unit for a week, or call upon Lindsay to use her (possibly unoccupied) apartment for a little bit. I don't know. It sucks, but it may not be a big problem in the end.
So, the only other problem is that nothing is certain yet. This is the only "small" studio in this building left. I asked him if it was still available, and he said yes. That doesn't mean someone else hasn't submitted an application for it and that it could be claimed by someone else! It is possible that even after all of this worry and anxiety, that I still won't get it. I did not submit a cosigner agreement because I do not believe that I need one. I don't have much of a credit history though, so I may not quality even though I have a steady income. If they review my application and determine that I do need a cosigner, they can't process my application until they get it.
So... that is the update. First off, I hope that the place is still available and that I can claim it. Secondly, I hope that we can rearrange the dates a bit so that there is an overlap. Thirdly, I hope I made the right decision.
I should formulate a little back up plan in my head: where should I live if I can't get this place? Once I've decided that I am willing to pay the extra money each month to live in a nicer, bigger place, going back to the smaller place is kind of disappointing. I don't know if I over-think these things, or if decisions really are this big, important, and difficult.
Applying for a place...
I forgot to print out the application for a studio at work today. Luckily, Rachael will be on campus and will use her magic student powers to print it. I wonder if I can print stuff as an employee... I may be able to. I know I can check out things.... Hmm.... I should look into that!
Well regardless, Rachael is going to provide me with the application tomorrow. Right now I am trying to make an official option 1, 2 and 3 so that if they say 1 is taken, I know exactly what I want to fall back on. It is sooo hard. There are so many factors at play, and I can just see all the pros and cons of each! Location, price, square footage, layout, amenities, parking, and appearance. It is frustrating! Some people (Laura) says that I shouldn't fear going higher in price so that I can find a place I LOVE and can stay in for a while. That would mean downtown maybe, because I like the idea of being close to the center of town. However, I also feel like I should make sure I don't raise my price of living too much so that I can continue to save money.
I have 9 possible apartments on my list. I have a big decision ahead of me! Oy vey!
Worst thing is: I don't want to drive to the place tomorrow to turn in my application anyway! I want to wait and mail it in, however Laura says I can't delay. I'm going to try and convince Rachael that she wants to drive me. That'll work, right?
In other news, I managed to eat an entire cantaloupe over the course of the evening (it was soooo good). This may have led to an increased rate of tooting.
I felt like I had to say something besides boring updates about decisions and anxiety over those decisions.
Well regardless, Rachael is going to provide me with the application tomorrow. Right now I am trying to make an official option 1, 2 and 3 so that if they say 1 is taken, I know exactly what I want to fall back on. It is sooo hard. There are so many factors at play, and I can just see all the pros and cons of each! Location, price, square footage, layout, amenities, parking, and appearance. It is frustrating! Some people (Laura) says that I shouldn't fear going higher in price so that I can find a place I LOVE and can stay in for a while. That would mean downtown maybe, because I like the idea of being close to the center of town. However, I also feel like I should make sure I don't raise my price of living too much so that I can continue to save money.
I have 9 possible apartments on my list. I have a big decision ahead of me! Oy vey!
Worst thing is: I don't want to drive to the place tomorrow to turn in my application anyway! I want to wait and mail it in, however Laura says I can't delay. I'm going to try and convince Rachael that she wants to drive me. That'll work, right?
In other news, I managed to eat an entire cantaloupe over the course of the evening (it was soooo good). This may have led to an increased rate of tooting.
I felt like I had to say something besides boring updates about decisions and anxiety over those decisions.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
I got the job!!
It is official, I got the job!! I start full time on Monday. They told me yesterday, but couldn't announce it until everything was settled with HR today. My boss sent out an email to the whole office, and a lot of people responded with "Congrats!". I wanted to send out an email saying Thank You to everyone, and that I was excited to be a permanent part of the team... however I wasn't quite sure how to word it. I tried multiple times to create something, and felt like I was wasting time. I then decided to think about it while working. I subsequently continued working, but stopped thinking. I remembered again towards the end of the day when it had been hours since I received any email and I thought it would be silly to bring the matter up again. I'm sure everyone had forgotten about it by then! I said thank you to everyone who said congrats in person.... I just kind of ignored the emails. I just didn't want to sound stupid right after announcing that I was part of the team! Instead I just seemed shy or impolite or I don't know. I don't think its mandatory to say something, but I know if I were more extroverted, I would. Good thing is is that my boss knows that I am not extroverted, so its not like I surprised anyone, right?
They have also been talking about giving me more duties since I will be there more often. Only problem with that is that I currently have 30 hrs of work per week, and I am taking on a coworkers 20 hrs per week. I figured this would keep me plenty busy, but I will be adding even more. I like it though, I love being busy! I just hope the stress doesn't kill me! :)
I have been waiting to find an apartment until I got everything settled with work. Only problem with that: lots of the best studios are taken!!! I should have figured this would happened, had more faith in the fact that I would get the job and just signed a lease. Now I have to scramble to find something that is still "perfect" (I don't want to move again any time soon!). My plan is to look carefully this week, prepare all necessary documents and go turn them in on Saturday. I really hope that I can find something good. I'll keep you updated on that!
In other news, now that I have stable employment, I have to figure out how to take time off! I want to work 4 10s instead of 5 8s this summer if possible, and I also want to take off a day for Memorial Day weekend (would want to do 4 10s then if possible..), take off my Birthday (Anna comes home!) and do a funky 4 10 week so that I can have 1 two day weekend and 1 four day weekend for camping. I hope they don't regret hiring me!
I'll write a post about last weekend later, because it was a good one. But now I should go research apartments. It just stresses me out... I want the perfect place - balcony instead of patio, W/D in unit, maximum sqft, minimum price, sleeping nook, perfect location.... Do you think I can do it!?
They have also been talking about giving me more duties since I will be there more often. Only problem with that is that I currently have 30 hrs of work per week, and I am taking on a coworkers 20 hrs per week. I figured this would keep me plenty busy, but I will be adding even more. I like it though, I love being busy! I just hope the stress doesn't kill me! :)
I have been waiting to find an apartment until I got everything settled with work. Only problem with that: lots of the best studios are taken!!! I should have figured this would happened, had more faith in the fact that I would get the job and just signed a lease. Now I have to scramble to find something that is still "perfect" (I don't want to move again any time soon!). My plan is to look carefully this week, prepare all necessary documents and go turn them in on Saturday. I really hope that I can find something good. I'll keep you updated on that!
In other news, now that I have stable employment, I have to figure out how to take time off! I want to work 4 10s instead of 5 8s this summer if possible, and I also want to take off a day for Memorial Day weekend (would want to do 4 10s then if possible..), take off my Birthday (Anna comes home!) and do a funky 4 10 week so that I can have 1 two day weekend and 1 four day weekend for camping. I hope they don't regret hiring me!
I'll write a post about last weekend later, because it was a good one. But now I should go research apartments. It just stresses me out... I want the perfect place - balcony instead of patio, W/D in unit, maximum sqft, minimum price, sleeping nook, perfect location.... Do you think I can do it!?
Friday, May 6, 2011
Interviewed
Isn't my title clever? It's in the past tense, get it?!
Anyway, I had my interview today. I think it went ok. I was worried about sounding too rehearsed, while simultaneously seeming unprepared. I think I was right in the middle somewhere. It was hard to tell from their reactions during it, because I was too distracted by my nerves. Afterward they were normal and friendly, and the day continued on.
So, really there is no point in over examining how it went. It is done and that is what matters!
They said that they will let me know the official results next week. I am probably going to take Monday off and do a four day work week, so I wont hear until Tuesday probably. That means I need to FOR SURE make sure I am 100% positive that my top apartment choices are actually #1, and then prepare everything I need to apply for a place next week. Woot!
I am nervous about if this is all the right decision and if I can truly feel happy in Bellingham. I like to think I can change how things are right now and be happier, but since it hasn't happened yet I'm skeptical. These are probably just cold feet. I think the fact that since I won't truly be living here in the summer (just working constantly so I can take long weekends and visit Anna), I have to gamble that I will be able to feel better in the future.
Anyway, I had my interview today. I think it went ok. I was worried about sounding too rehearsed, while simultaneously seeming unprepared. I think I was right in the middle somewhere. It was hard to tell from their reactions during it, because I was too distracted by my nerves. Afterward they were normal and friendly, and the day continued on.
So, really there is no point in over examining how it went. It is done and that is what matters!
They said that they will let me know the official results next week. I am probably going to take Monday off and do a four day work week, so I wont hear until Tuesday probably. That means I need to FOR SURE make sure I am 100% positive that my top apartment choices are actually #1, and then prepare everything I need to apply for a place next week. Woot!
I am nervous about if this is all the right decision and if I can truly feel happy in Bellingham. I like to think I can change how things are right now and be happier, but since it hasn't happened yet I'm skeptical. These are probably just cold feet. I think the fact that since I won't truly be living here in the summer (just working constantly so I can take long weekends and visit Anna), I have to gamble that I will be able to feel better in the future.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Interview
My interview is today at 3 and I am so nervous! I know that I know the people interviewing me, but that almost makes it worse. I can't comfort myself with, "Well if you say something stupid at least you'll never see them again"! My only comfort is that though I have to go through it, time will pass, it will pass, and suddenly I will be at home again and DONE.
I am anxiously awaiting that moment.
I am anxiously awaiting that moment.
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