Travis and I are now officially wrapped around the paw of an incredibly adorable kitten, Dewey. On Thursday Dash will be joining the family. She is a black and white long haired. I think she looks a lot like Caterpillar for those who know her. Dewey is very cuddly and lovable and tiny. To put it in perspective, the licenses around his neck are about the size of a quarter. He likes to be around Travis and I and whines when he can't be. He is going to have to learn not to that. Hopefully when his sister comes it will be a little better. Now for the pictures. I am going to try and post several. We have certainly taken a bunch. And it is only day one.
( Warning: extremely cute kitty pictures. Proceed at your own risk. )
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But here is a picture of my new (to me) Jetta. We do have a picture of my new cat in my new car but that hasn't been downloaded yet. After tooling around in it today I still am enjoying how it drives. It also already has cat hair on it.

 

I am now the owner of a charcoal VW Jetta.

I went back and drove the Vibe today and it was OK but not great. No soul. I decided I needed to drive the Jetta again and I just really like the way that it feels. The reliability thing still nags at me a little but after researching it I am a bit more encouraged and I have a good warranty on it. I got a little scare on the way home thinking I had killed the engine at an intersection (it's a manual) but then I realized that the car is just that quiet. Huge change from the car I was driving. 

I'll see if I can post pictures later. Maybe a picture with the car and kitties. Hopefully we are getting them on Saturday. Travis is making me drive. Shelter and garden, way to break in a new car. 

I'm stuck and annoyed. I know I need to buy a new car. That is going to cost money and will probably have to happen within the next week. I have come to terms with that. I'm okay with it. At this point that is what I need and want. It is the deciding on which car that is available around here that is causing me annoyance and stress. I test drove a 2006 Jetta the other day and enjoyed it. Travis liked it as well from a passenger point of view. The price is decent and I liked it. Not fall in love with like it but could certainly enjoy it. What is stopping me is the reliability reports and some of the word of mouth I am hearing. Apparently a few people have had problems with their VWs. In the Consumer Reports and US New and World Reports I have read it doesn't get horrible reviews but not great either. I asked the salesman about it and he said that yes VWs have had problems in the past but they were redesigned in 2005 and are much better now. The price of the car includes a two year bumper to bumper warranty.

The other car that I am looking at it is a Pontiac Vibe. Essentially it is Toyota built except for the body and the paint. It is $1000 less but without a warranty. I haven't driven it yet but will probably do so tomorrow. I sat in it and liked the way it felt. I don't think it is as safe as the Jetta. 

Around the same price, years, mileage, and mpg. I don't know what to do but I don't want to mull over it forever or regret the decision I make.

In other news I am sitting here look at cars on the internet and Travis is sitting next to me looking at kitties online. Classic-ish.

 My car won't start. Really won't start. I am hoping that it will start tomorrow, but I am not going to Portland. I don't think it would be safe and I don't want to get stuck somewhere. This really bums me. I was really looking forward to seeing my family and my friends. It has been too long. Maybe soon. Now I am looking for a new car. I think it is long past time. I wonder what I will find. Any recommendations?

I get to see my family tomorrow!!!! And some old friends today. I'm so excited, just not about the drive. Oh well. It will be worth and it is gorgeous outside. 

I think I have found my right kind of pilot. It's rather nice. :) He still loves me, makes me lunch and dinner and wants to be around me even though I am crying for no reason and am snappy today. Crazy.

Currently I am teaching him and his friend, Eric, how to use their (separate) library websites, including books on mp3. It is very cute and entertaining. They are like kids discovering a new toy. There is so much they are discovering. So feel like a librarian right now.

I think I have ants living in my computer. 

 Please don't be shocked that I have posted three times in three days. This is not normal. Don't get used to it. I actually have four and a half days off which, and this is the completely crazy part, I am spending all of them at home. In McMinnville. At my actual house. Sleeping in my own bed. I know, it hasn't really sunk in for me either. :)

Considering in the ten days prior to this I had spent a total of maybe 20 hours at home and come Sunday I will be gone for the next five days, the time at home was desperately needed. In fact Laura and I were thinking about it and this may be the longest stretch of time I have spent in our house since I moved in at the end of November. I am so done with my nomadic lifestyle. The mystique is long gone. 

In the past couple of days I have worked on homework (classes started up again last Saturday) and caught up on my sleep and all the NCIS DVDs we had in the house. In fact I am missing watching them tonight. Turk and I are impatiently waiting for the next disc to show up from Netflix. And Fox delayed the newest Bones because of Bush's final address. Grrrrr. Very sad, I know but we need our fix. Though thanks to Travis's donation of a TV to the house we are discovering the joys of a remote control. Very exciting.

Today I cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, two things I have been wanting to do for awhile. I even hung a few pictures on one wall in the kitchen. I am hoping to hang some more in my room and the living room before I go back to work. It will be nice to have something on the walls to break up the white but mainly it will be nice to have them off my floor. I want space to move in my room. I have way too much crap and I have even downsized!

The tentative plan for tomorrow: do laundry, pack for five day trip, visit parents, go grocery shopping, cook for trip, finish attacking room, call Seth and congratulate him, get library card and check out reference section for class assignment, do more homework, block scarf for Travis, and possibly bake cookies and hang more pictures. Hence why I am setting my alarm or else I will sleep the whole day through. We will see how much actually gets done. 

I also posted on my IF LJ. I got the impression from Pua that the link may not be working so here is the url: http://mal25if.livejournal.com. Everyone in my class is required to keep a blog and read each other's blogs. I find it interesting that I am the only one who chose to use LJ, everyone else used blogspot or wordpress, neither of which had I hear of until last term. Then again I am not much of a blogger or blog reader.

Off to listen to more Jasper Fforde and see if I can make some progress on my room before it is time for bed. As a quick side note, applesauce with roasted almonds and chocolate chips is a very tasty treat.  

For those of you who don't follow Pearls Before Swine and like libraries and librarians you might want to check it out today. Quite enjoyable.

I need your help. I want to find some neat icons relating to books, reading, and/or intellectual freedom for my other LJ. I know some of you have some great  ones, please share. I still haven't posted on the second blog but will by the end of the week.

Now this girl needs to step away from the computer, homework and job applications and get outside for some exercise. I would say some sun but I'm in western Oregon and it is January so I will settle for a walk in the fresh air. I think a stop at a bakery for some treats on the way to the library will also be called for.

 Tonight I am feeling very disappointed in and angry at myself. Why do I always until the wire to do accomplish things? 

What am I doing? Why am I so emotional?

It has been a crazy month since I posted last, mostly due to weather. And it is still being crazy. Officially winter term starts tomorrow for me but I feel like it is already in full swing. I went up to Seattle on Wednesday when I got off work to visit Travis. He was having a very bad day so I wanted to cheer him up. While there he shuttled me around the U district so that I could pay tuition, get my current student sticker, and buy a textbook. I am so glad we were able to run those errands because I was planning on doing them tomorrow while I am there for class but now I may not be able to go. For those who have not been paying attention I-5 is closed because of flooding. The passes are closed because of snow thus cutting off the very round about route to Seattle. Amtrack has canceled most of its trains to Seattle and flights are oversold. So essentially, at this time, there is no way for me to actually make it to Seattle by 8am tomorrow morning.

I am not really that bummed about this. My professors are being understanding about the fact that many of us will be unable to make it to Seattle. They ask that we keep them informed about our situation and do some things online so that we can catch up on what we are missing.

This also means I could have two more nights in my own bed and at home before heading back to work. This would be extremely welcome. Last night was one of the best nights sleep I have had in a long time. I haven't been sleeping well at all lately and it was nice to wake up refreshed and at ease. I even saw my roommate last night which is a first in several weeks. Nice change.

As for school I am feeling more confident this term than last. I passed last term and actually got a pretty decent grade in the one graded class that I took. This helped me realize that I really can cut it in grad school. I anticipate the term to be tough, probably tougher than last term as there will be more work, but I think I can handle it. I am really looking forward to my class on intellectual freedom in libraries. It is taught by two managers in the King County Library system so this is something that they deal with on a regular basis. I suspect it will be more practical than the classes I have taken so far and the other class that I will be taking this term. This is a very good thing. For the IF class I am being required to keep a blog on intellectual freedom issues. If you are interested the url for that is http:mal25if.livejournal.com. Currently there is only a short introduction post. I will be posting on it more often that this because I will be being graded on my posting. Motivation. 

Now it's time for me to get my stuff ready just in case I will have to head up to Seattle tonight or early tomorrow morning. And I should probably take the Christmas tree down now that we are well into January. We want our living room back. 

I realize that it is not yet the end of the year, we still have a few more weeks to go, but events lately have got me thinking about the past year. This has been a very eventful one for me. Some have been great, some just happened, and a few have been not so good. I still don't know what all the repercussions of them will be, both positive and not. But I am trying to be hopeful and optimistic and not have any regrets. I am very thankful for the people who surround me, a few I just met this year but who have come to mean a lot to me. And considering all that has happened to me this year, I wonder what the next twelve months will hold.

In some ways first year grad school is much better than first year undergrad. For one thing I am writing my paper in McMenamin's while drinking a Rubinator. Definitely better this way. Oooooh food just showed up.

Pua I promise I will call you soon. This paper is due at midnight, it has my full attention right now.

I have a couple days off and I am spending almost the entire time catching up on life and making some not so fun decisions that I have been putting off.

On the school front I have one more article to read for LIS 500 and I will be caught up in that class. I am so glad that we only have to participate in three of the five discussions because there is very little way I would have been able to do the last two. But I just checked the boards today and posted a couple of times. I'll finish the last article tonight and start on the next section's reading tomorrow so I will be ready for it. As for LIS 510, my plan is to do that reading tonight and start posting tomorrow. As I haven't even looked in on those posts, I definitely need to do that soon. Still a lot to do but at least I feel a little less like I am sinking, more like treading water. Hopefully by the time I go back to work on Thursday I'll be swimming. Perhaps I should listen to the lectures at some point...

On the life front I have come to the conclusion that I simply cannot continue living where I am without a roommate. I cannot afford it, especially since the schedules at work are getting worse and the best I can do for next bid cuts my hours by about 15. And that means a very significant chunk out of my paycheck. I've looked for a roommate but haven't had any luck. So I am going to turn in my notice tomorrow or Thursday before I go to work. Still haven't figured out where I am going to live next. I might just put my stuff in storage and couch surf for a while. Not thrilled with that option but I guess you do what you have to do. I refuse to just not pay my bills. Not an option. I love my place and will miss it. But I am trying my best to look for the silver lining, whatever it may be.

I think I am coming down with another cold. NOT OK. Why, oh why, can't I have a healthy body. I am so tired of being sick and hurting.

This is starting to sound very depressing. Really life isn't completely horrible. I get to hang out with Cara tomorrow and am listening to some very good new music. Travis and I managed to get two days a week off together next bid. So maybe we will actually get to see each other. That will be nice. And I adore the crew I am working with this bid. They are a lot of fun.

OK, I am done staring at this computer today. Time to go home, open a nice bottle of red and have a dinner of lovely cheese, a demi-baguette, salami, apples, and dove ice cream to end it. Mmmm.

Man it has been a crazy week or so. OK, last week was the crazy week and this week I am recovering and getting ready to go back to work tomorrow. Which I might add I am not looking forward to and am actually a little depressed about.

I am officially a grad student at the UW iSchool. A place where they use i in front of a word way too much. Perhaps by the time I graduate in, hopefully, three years I will be inured to it. Can you also tell I am in a bit of a grouchy mood? Sorry 'bout that. I think it has something to do with the fact that I have to go back to work tomorrow for a long trip and I am not too excited about it. Compound this by the fact that ever since I came home from Seattle I have been woken up every morning by my house literally shaking due to the construction next door. This morning came the headache as well. I laid down on the couch with a cold compress. Very Victorian I know. Now where is the handsome man I can swoon in front of or who will at least bring me tea?

He's in France. Grr. I would definitely rather be in France than going to work tomorrow.

Anyways, school was good. It is nice to finally get started but I am concerned about my ability to keep up. It has been so long since I have had to really use my brain intellectually. This quarter is all theory so my brain is getting a bit of a work out. I can already see it is going to be a problem managing my time and not spending all my time checking boards. And not feeling guilty about taking a day off. As students we listen to lectures online, do our assigned readings, and then participate in discussions in online boards. As you can imagine there can be a lot of posts with 80 students in a class. Some sort of balance is going to have to be achieved. Oh and we are graded on our discussion participation. It doesn't help that I don't have internet at home. I think I am going to get thoroughly sick of my computer.

I enjoyed my classes and I am glad I got all the information they gave. And it was good to put some faces to my profs. But the best part of the week was making connections with some of my fellow students and getting to spend time with Travis. I spent a fair amount of time with a couple of my cohorts and shared a few meals with them. Wednesday night four of us went to a brew pub near the college and just spent about four hours talking, drinking beer, and eating nachos. It was so nice to simply get to know them, to start building a support system. Good times. Also got to catch up with Alex, it had been awhile.

I stayed at Travis' place the whole week even though he was away on a trip for about half the time. His roommates are really sweet. We would sit and chat at the end of the day and compare school days. They made me feel very welcome and at home. Though it was a little weird to be there without him. Considering we live in different cities and have different schedules it was nice to have a semi-"normal" week. Coming home after both of our days, making dinner, chatting, visiting friends, going shopping, etc. Instead of having to plan around plane departures and thinking "OK, we have 18 hours and then you're getting on a plane again and I won't see you in a month. If we are lucky." It definitely makes moving to Seattle more appealing. It would make getting to see him so much easier. If we only had a morning or an evening off together we could at least get together for coffee.

On Friday night we went over to his sister's house for dinner and I got to meet her and her family. A lot of fun, a bit crazy but a lot of fun. There are two kids in the family, Savannah (3), who is very active, and Cash (10 months), who still always wants to be near Mom or Dad at all times. Travis adores them. The feeling in mutual. Being the youngest in my family and there being no nieces or nephews, I haven't spent a lot of time around young kids other than on the airplane. So it was a bit of a change in routine for me but it was nice to meet some people who mean a lot to Travis. And to see the kids, they are adorable. I can't believe some of the things Savannah came up with.

Got back home to Vancouver on Saturday and slept. I was so tired. Then on Sunday Dawn and I went to the Oregon Fiber and Flock Festival. We were both very good and only bought a little yarn and some tea. It was fun to see all the colors and different types of fibers. I am such a sucker for soft fiber. Spent the rest of the evening watching Bones, knitting, and hanging out at their place. All in all a good day.

That would be the highlights of the last couple of weeks. Congrats if you made it through this epic post. For those of you I promised to call but haven't. I haven't forgotten you, I just have been ignoring my phone lately. I will call soon.

As has been pointed out to me several times lately by several different people, it has been awhile since I posted. Yes, I realize this and quite honestly it doesn't really bother me, but I am very grateful that there are people out there that actually care whether I write anything or not. Thank you.

Since it would be ridiculous of me to try and catch anybody up on what has been happening in the last two months, I am not even going to try. On the other hand this is what is happening this week. Be warned I am not in a very good mood right now.

I am freaking out and trying to figure out why I decided that it would be a brilliant idea to go back to school while working full time (at a job that is horrible for my health I might add hence why I have been sidelined with a cold for the last four days). School starts unofficially in six days, classes officially start in eight. In order to try and be slightly prepared for the week I emailed my mentor through the iSchool to get an idea of what the week may like. She is a third year student who is planning on graduating this year. She gave me some great pointers and a little better idea of what it should be like. Essentially she told me the first week is completely overwhelming, as is the rest of the quarter. In her words, it's the term they make ridiculously hard to weed out those students who aren't really sure they want to be in the program. I'm freaked out and stressed and I haven't even gotten my book list, much less the books, or my syllabi yet. This does not bode well. I am hoping that once I actually start at school and realize what is going on and can plan my time, then I will be better.

In other news I am feeling a bit better today than the last few days. I can actually breathe through my nose and sound almost human. This is progress. Hopefully by Monday I will be back to my normal self. I do not want to be sick on top of school. The weather is amazing and warm and I am hoping to spend sometime in it. I am getting the chance to have coffee with some friends and am knitting up a beautiful shawl using Mountain Colors Barefoot in Indian Corn. And most wonderful of all I am on 20 days off from work. Yay!!!!! Thank goodness for vacation. Heaven knows I need it.

Off to find chocolate.

Very quick update. The last few weeks have been quite the emotional roller coaster. I'm done, I want off it.

As of this moment life is good.

For those who like fantasy/sci-fi books, I recommend Lois McMaster Bujould's Miles Vorkosigan novels.