Aunt Jane's Letters

Oh my word. Lately, things have been very whirlwindy. Is that a word? Anyway, here has what's been up:

Two weekends ago, I:
-drove to Michigan
-met Pookie and Al's pup
-went to LT's wedding
-hung with some family

This past weekend, I:
-flew to Michigan
-went to Bananne's bachelorette party
-went to homecoming at Albion
-hung out with some of my favorite people

I came home this weekend with a cold. I think I caught it from Pookie when I saw her. Oh well. It seems to be going away now. I am not going anywhere this weekend, which is nice. I have to work all weekend, but these are the dues I must pay for requesting multiple weekends off in a row. Oh well.

Oldface and Wifers loaned me two dvds when I left. One, a BBC version of Sense & Sensibility, I watched the other day. AMAZING. It was so great. The other, a Masterpiece Theatre presentation of Jane Eyre, I have not yet watched, but I am looking forward to it.

Pardon Me, Boy- Is That the Chattanooga Choo Choo?

Well, okay. They're calling it Snowmageddon. And the Snowpacolypse. And the SnOMG storm and the like. The storm that rolled into Pittsburgh on Friday and left the city buried in almost two feet of snow is actually really hilarious to me. I had an awesome weekend.

On Friday, I went over to CLRG's house before it got too bad. We were just expecting a foot or so, but I didn't want to be stuck on the road with people who didn't know how to drive in the snow. When I got there, he and his roommate C and I walked to Applebee's for dinner. Then, we went to KMart to get him some boots. We meandered home, admiring the cars stuck on Braddock, laughing at people, and chatting with the police officer that came to check out the car that was smashed into a telephone pole. Saturday morning, CLRG and I woke up and peered out the window. We decided it would be a really good idea to go out. So, we did. We found the snow up to our knees. We trekked to Eat n Park, where we heard that the manager had had to stay overnight. We went to Giant Eagle to get some food. We trekked home. Later, we dug my car out from the pile in which it was buried. Okay, though. I'll be fair: CLRG, C and HatNick dug it out while I watched. I made them tacos afterward. I was supposed to work on Sunday morning, but the roads were too scary and I called off.

I finally left CLRG's house on Monday morning to make it home in time for work at 7am. Buuuuut I made the mistake of driving onto a side street. I got stuck. After some pushing and digging and the like, I got it off to the side and made it to work by 8:30am. This morning, I got K to come over and, with the help of two older gentlemen, we got my car out of the space and I got gas and drove around trying to find a parking space that was not already taken up by a chair. Not finding any, I took my chances and drove onto my street, parked in my landlord's driveway and dug a spot out. Now my car is parked and I will probably not move it for a while. Ha.

Classes were cancelled yesterday and today. I wonder about tomorrow, because there is more snow happening at the moment and we're supposed to get up to ten more inches by tomorrow night. Or something. I can't keep track.

Oh, Pittsburgh. Oh, snow. Happy Winter.

Last Night I Dreamt That I Grew Wings

I just got a serious pang of homesickness. I wish I had been able to go to AC Homecoming. I wish that it hasn't been over two years since I have seen Twist and A. I wish it were easier to get a hold of Cupcake. I wish I could bring everyone I love that is in a faraway place and deposit them in the Burgh so I didn't have to feel sad. Would that be so difficult? Thank goodness for my people here, though. At least I have them.

Maybe We Don't Want You Tracking Us Down

So, the G20 officially begins tomorrow, but the protestors are getting warmed up today. Greenpeace people hung a huge banner on the West End Bridge (I think) this morning. Someone forwarded me a really delighful version of one of the pictures. Makes me laugh so much. Oh, silly people.

Let's Take a Ride to the Seaside

Well, Oldface and Bananne left today. They were supposed to fly out around 5:30 this evening but were delayed and ended up boarding at like 8:30. Kind of ridiculous, but what can you do? We had an excellent visit. On Wednesday, they arrived and we walked to my new apartment and then to the Factory and then we went out to dinner with KBrew, which was a ton of fun. On Thursday, I had to work so we didn't do too much during the day. I got some packing done while Bananne did schoolwork and then we went to dinner in the evening. On Friiiiiiiday, we went to the Pittsburgh Zoo! It was a grand time. That is where the photograph above was taken. We took many a picture and saw some cute animals. In the evening, we went to dinner with Buddy and Elle and then went to the Cage for some good, old-fashioned libation. We took even more pictures there, mostly silly, and called pretty much everyone we know. Graaaaand times. This morning, I took them to Pamela's to experience the wonder of the strawberry hotcakes and then took them to the airport in the afternoon. I'm so glad they came. I really, really am. I wish that my Wifers had been here, too, but I know I'll see her soon (in Cleveland, mayhaps).

In other news, Elle and I move in one week! Buddy's parents came today and packed all of her stuff into their car(s). Our living room looks strange without furniture. Thankfully, Elle and I have boxes staged down there, in sections. You know, my room stuff, hers, kitchen, living room, storage room. We should be ready come Saturday morning. We'll go get the UHaul and start the process. We have to get the couch from CLRG's place and have to also move his stuff to HatNick's. Should be fun times. I'm hoping that the potential for thunderstorms that Elle read about for Saturday diminishes... I also wish that my parents or grandparents or sister could be here to help me move. I feel kind of sad when everyone's family comes and mine does not. I know it is not logical for them to come, that traveling that far just to do that is silly, but it would be nice to see them.

Elle asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday this evening. I hadn't realized how quickly it is approaching! 10 days from now, I'll be 24. Crazy, right? Right. Yikes.

I Just Wanna Be Your Firecracker

How did it get to be August? I think the summer is flying and July went super fast. It's kind of crazy. Soon, I'll be back in school. Soon, I will be living in a new apartment. I'm actually excited for both of those things. I'll probably take back being excited about school by October, but whatever. Haha.

I got my permanent PA driver's license in the mail on Thursday. I am so official.

Last night was pretty good. I went to CLRG's house and he had a couple of friends/coworkers over so we watched a movie and hung out. Later, after the guys left, CLRG and I made fishsticks (mmm delicious) and then were invited to the porch gathering that his downstairs neighbors were having. We didn't stay long, but it was nice to hang out and we got to see how they'd arranged their apartment. Then we watched Arrested Development, because we're going through the series. We're almost done with Season Three, though, which is kind of depressing.

Anyway, today is Saturday and I don't have to work and I am pretty pleased with that. I don't know what I will do though. I should go figure that out.

We Tore The Thicket Down, Vine By Vine

I got a PA driver's license this afternoon. Of course, it is only temporary until the new one comes in the mail, but I am not a PA driver. Weird, right? They punched a hole in my Michigan license. I thought they would take it away. I am glad they did not. I think that the system that Pennsylvania has for dealing with all things car-related is really screwy. You can't go to one place like you can in Michigan. You have to go to one place for this, another for that, and a third for the other thing. I waited in line today for ages. AGES. Thank goodness Buddy came with me. I would have been frazzled. AND! They didn't even make me take the vision test, so I was happy about that. I just handed over my form and my proper forms of ID, had my picture taken and went about my way. The actual process took no more than 10 minutes. For real.

I just wrote out my to-do list. It is kind of annoying. It is all of the big stuff that has to happen before we move: new utility accounts, rent payments, etc. I just want it to all be over! I want to move! I got a free desk and I am super psyched about it. The girl that lives there now didn't want it and it is pretty much exactly what I need and where I wanted to put it, so she's just leaving it there. Nicely done, no? I know that my desire for moving day to come quickly will be lessened when moving day is actually here and I haven't done anything in while. But- I have been trying to make progress on things. I think I'm getting ready. I also am helping CLRG get ready to move. He has way more stuff, though, so I think it will be super fun.

Okay. I just got really sleepy. I hate that! And my blood sugar has been weirded out all afternoon and that is annoying. Rawr.

I Held So Many People in My Suitcase Heart

I haven't written in a while because, truthfully, I didn't really know what to write about. I keep thinking about the concept of home. I want to write about that. I wanted to say that Elle went home earlier in the week and I miss that option. In college, it wasn't difficult to get home for a weekend. Nowadays, I'm not sure what home is to me, so I can't determine travel time. Home is, I suppose, many things. Home is when I am with my family as well as with my friends. Home is Pittsburgh, where I am building a life that is my own (which is strange) and where I spent most of my time and where CLRG is. I think, when I say, "I'm home," I mean Pittsburgh. That's not to say, of course, that my hometown (is it my hometown if we don't live there at all anymore?) isn't a home. I know I am welcome there in many homes and many hearts and I love that. Home is just so tricky. I know some people don't really relate to that, but that's okay. For me, places that are home span the country.

And then home brings up the question of what to do for the holidays. I'm worried that my family will be separated at Christmas. I know that I would be welcome at CLRG's family's house and I would be welcome at my grandparents' house, but it's strange to think that I might not see my parents and sister if things don't work out, you know? The parents have to think about coming out for Pookie's graduation in May and they already had me come out last month and it just seems so complicated. So much more than it used to be. Why, oh why?

In happier news, this weekend is the anniversary of Elle and I meeting. We came out to the Burgh about a year ago to find this apartment and struck up a friendship that I know will last forever. I'm so glad I found such a good friend in her. I really don't know what I would do without you, Elle! Thanks for being so awesome.

So Glide Away on Soapy Heels

Oh, baby, is it ever crunch time. I have a million things due next week and neither the time nor the motivation to do the work. It'll happen, of course. It always does. *sigh*

In happier news, Elle and I looked at an apartment on Monday evening and we absolutely fell in love with it. It's adorable. The top two floors of a house. There is a full bathroom, eat-in kitchen, living room and small extra room on the 2nd floor and then two bedrooms and another full bathroom on the 3rd floor. It's relatively affordable for the neighborhood in which we live and compared to the places we've seen ads for online. We're going back to see it this evening when Elle is out of work and CLRG is coming with us (you know, to ask manly questions and be all official and whatnot) and I am going to take my camera. Elle took photos on Monday, but we were so excited, that we were distracted and she only got like 5 or something. Haha. Would it be bad to just jump on this one without really looking elsewhere? I don't want it to slip away. It's basically perfect.

Lookin for Fun and Feelin Groovy

Oh me, oh my. I haven't written in a week! Oh boy!

I don't really have much to say today. The weather is beautiful here. I have my bedroom windows open and I did some cleaning in my room and felt kind of springy. Yay.

Easter went well. Sunday evening, I went out with CLRG and his sister and her boyfriend and got really, really drunk. Really. Like, lost-my-contacts drunk. Oh boy. Monday was a rough day.

Time is ticking toward the end of the semester. I have so much to do and so little motivation. Awesome? No...

There's a Song That Will Linger Forever in Our Ears

I have been very bad with the blogging! Goodness. I'm sorry, March, I have not forgotten about you. I've just been busy and occupied with other things. It's true.

Anyway, the end of March is near. I keep forgetting that this coming weekend is the one during which Gully will come visit with some other Albion people to go to a Josh Ritter show with Elle, Buddy and I. This reminds me... I should call or text Cupcake and see if she wants to come as well. Hmmmmm.

Let's see... happenings of late. There are a few things to report, I suppose. Nothing major.

-Yesterday, I helped CLRG take his lip ring out. Does this make him CG now, instead? I can't decide. He'll probably always be CLRG.
-It is finally Spring, but the weather is being mean and cold and I want it to be nice and warm again like it was once that one week and once that other week. Rawr.
-The Punchline concert on the 7th was awesome. So awesome. I had a quality time.
-I went to CLRG's parents' house on Saturday after I got out of work. He and his dad looked at his car and I sat in the house doing homework and talking to his mom and sister. It was fun times.
-I am hoping that he and I will get to go to Idaho in June for a little while. I think it can work out... but we will seeeeee.
-I have become very interested (obsessed?) with ancestry.com. Oh my. So cool.
-Work has been increasingly difficult to go to. I've been trying to apply for other jobs, but haven't heard a word yet. Kind of frustrating

Well, I need to go find something to lunch on and do reading and research and shower and all of that business because I have today off and I don't have class on Mondays and I need to get something done. Ha.

Pookies!! We got milkshakes when she visited. We are super photogenic. :o)

We Got Older, But We're Still Young

Oh my word. I am so ridiculously excited for this weekend, it isn't even funny. Tomorrow, we are celebrating Buddy's birthday by going to dinner and Pookie is coming to visit for a few days and there is a Punchline concert and it will be so thrilling.

The weather is beautiful today and, from what I hear, supposed to be even nicer this weekend. YES!!

The lady at the post office mentioned that we are springing forward this weekend. I totally forgot. Is it really true?

Starfish and Coffee, Maple Syrup and Jam

The Steelers won the Super Bowl on Sunday night! It was a crazy game. I watched the game at CLRG's house with some of his friends and Elle. I was wearing a Bettis jersey, waving a Terrible Towel, and jumping on the couch. When they won, I could hear fireworks all over the neighborhood. People were screaming, waving Towels from their cars and lighting things on fire in Oakland. Ridiculous. CLRG is still beaming. It makes me really happy when he smiles like that.

In other news, I am so completely psyched to move with Elle to a super cute apartment come August, when this lease is up. We have lots of grand plans are determined to have the cutest apartment ever. I really just want that time to come now. I'm tired of waiting. Haha. Impatient? Oh, probably.

These Are the Days of Endless Dreaming

The Steelers are going to the Super Bowl! I watched the AFC Championship game with Elle and CLRG and one of his friends last night and it was very exciting. Especially Polamalu's touchdown in the 4th or whatever. I do not yet have the rabid devotion to the Black and Gold that everyone in this city does. I was trying to make myself feel more invested in the game last night by reminding myself that it equated with the ALCS and such. Next: the equivalent of the World Series. It makes more sense to me when I put it in terms of baseball and think about the Tigers. Yep, yep. Elle and I played some Guitar Hero as well last night and that was interesting. We were both playing on medium a couple of times and not doing totally awesome, but okay. I think we'll improve with time. Haha.

Last night, Chuck IMed me for the first time since November. I replied, but heard nothing. Same thing happened this morning and I was getting kind of annoyed. I think I am open for casual IM conversations, but to IM me and then not do anything seemed kind of ridiculous. We're talking right now and it's going okay.

I watched Iron Man this weekend after a dinner at Aladdin's with CLRG. I would say that we watched the movie, but he totally fell asleep. Haha. I really liked it. It seemed to me to be the most realistic superhero movie I've seen. You know? It didn't really strike me as strange or fantastic that Tony Stark would be doing the things he was doing. Everything made sense. It was a quality movie. Maybe someday I will watch it again and CLRG can watch it, too, and stay awake. :oP

I just realized today that Valentine's Day is coming up pretty quickly. I mean, sort of. What do I do for that? Christmas was tricky enough. I had a thought today that involved me making dinner for CLRG and us going to see a movie. I was hoping that there might be an old movie playing at a local theatre and we could go to that. Or we could just watch an old movie here at my house. Or at his. I don't know. We went to a theatre in Regent Square to see a movie from the 70s with his parents a month or so ago and that was nice. Maybe they do that frequently. I will have to research.

Are You Dead, Or Are You Sleeping?

Today has been a lazy sort of day. I went to work at 6am, but was sent home by 10:30 because business was slow and there were four people on the line. Lame. I came home and took a nap until 1, when I would have been out of work anyway. Then I started laundry, did a little reading, made some lunch, watched a little tv. It was actually pretty nice.

Tonight is the AFC championship and the Steelers are playing the Ravens. My presence is requested at CLRG's house, per usual, so I need to get ready to go soon. Watching games with him is always pretty low-key. He'll have some friends over, there'll be beer, I'll play Guitar Hero with Elle. That kind of stuff. Also, I am pretty sure that Elle and I are the only people in the entire city that do not own Steelers apparel. Ridiculous, right? I know. It's practically blasphemy.

I'm Gonna Keep On Hoping

I am presently eating the chocolates the CLRG gave me for Christmas. They are delightful. It was one of those Pot of Gold boxes and I am almost through the first layer. Don't judge me. I am also worrying about what I will do research on for one of my classes, how I will get enough money to pay my bills (prostitution is an option, I suppose), how I will get enough time to do all of my work and when I will see CLRG tonight. *sigh*

So distracted!!!

Blueberry muffins!

I'm Like the Ringleader, I Call the Shots

I always read Postsecret on Sundays. I love it. This week's posting contained a secret that made me think of CLRG. I know I'm being mushy and gushy and disgusting, but I can not help it. Here it is:

I had a bit of a baking disaster yesterday. I got a crock pot for Christmas, you see, and a crock pot cookbook. At 2 in the afternoon, Elle and Toi and I decided we should have a dinner party. They worked on the main dish and I planned the dessert. A hot fudge cake! I followed the directions exactly, but when CLRG flipped it to let the cake out (it seemed done when I stuck the fork in. I swear.), it was really very liquidy. I was very sad. Everyone was very nice about it and said it was good, but I felt stupid. Oh well. It probably had something to do with the fact that my crock pot is smaller than a standard one and I maybe should have compensated. Next time, I will not make a cake. I will make something that can not easily become a failure and, hopefully, I will succeed.

The dinner party was to mourn the departure of Toi, who has to go back to school soon and can, therefore, not stay in the Burgh. We played Scattergories after dinner and then went to the Cage for some drinks. I had a delightful whiskey sour. Mmm.

I was not scheduled to work today, so I slept in and am now sitting here in my pajamas, doing basically nothing. I have a list of things to accomplish, but that requires more motivation I can muster.

I think I am going to go locate some leftovers. I am hungry and I own zero groceries. I want soup. Boo.

There's No Stopping Us Now

Happy New Year!

I really can't believe that it's already 2009. I've been out of high school for almost 6 years. I've been out of college for almost 2. How did time fly this quickly? I don't have a clue. That is not to say, of course, that my time post-college has not been super. I lived with the parents for a while. I had a real job. I made the decision to come to graduate school, moved to a newish city, and have been making my own life. 2008 was an interesting year. I'm glad that we've moved on from it and am really excited to see what 2009 will bring.

Ringing in the new year was certainly entertaining. I went to CLRG's house. A few of his friends were there, including some I had not yet met. Elle and Toi came after some of the people had arrived and we commenced becoming BFF with the other girls there. It was hilarious and fun. A really good start to the new year, I think, even though parts of the evening are difficult to remember. Haha.

Currently, I am attempting to locate my bedroom in the rubble caused by the explosion of my suitcase. I moved a bunch of my books down to the shelves in the living room and made space for the books I started getting in the mail today. I still have a bunch of stuff to bring in from my car (including my crock pot!) and then maybe actual unpacking can happen. We'll see, I suppose. I should dust my room. I should clean the whole house (that won't really happen, though). It would be a good idea to get 2009 started on the right foot.

Just Like a Happy Accident

I'm back in the Burgh. Christmas is over, the New Year is ready to begin, and I have been reunited with CLRG. I left Michigan yesterday, tearfully, but am very happy to be back in a place where I am not living out of a suitcase.

Christmas was relatively eventful. My grandmother was in a mood while we were there, so it made for some tense moments. I had a good time visiting with my parents and Pookie, though. We also got to see some cousins and my dad's younger sister and meet our first-ever cousin on that side of the family. Super cute. My dad reached a milestone birthday on the 25th. There were two cakes on two separate occasions, and lots of celebrating. Overall, it turned out well.

Tonight, I am going to CLRG's to ring in 2009. Elle is coming over and her friend is in town, so she will come as well. It should be a good time.

Classes start up next week. I didn't realize it was so soon. I hope that my books arrive in time. Yikes! I can't believe break is almost over. I go back to work on Saturday. Back to reality... Rawr.

I need to go get ready for tonight.

Happy New Year!

You Always Dress in Yellow When You Wanna Dress in Gold

So I am supposed to be writing a 15 page paper for my African-American History class right now and I am more unmotivated than I can even express. Thank goodness I had to write a rough draft a couple of weeks ago, otherwise I would have nothing to build on. Oh man. I will be so happy when it's just turned in and I can concentrate on decimating my Archives final. :o)

On my way to or from work today or yesterday, I noticed that the dress shop had new dresses up. I was displeased to notice that they recycled a dress! They totally had that green one up a few weeks ago. I feel hurt. Don't put expensive dresses that I have already seen in the window. Put up new ones. I need to imagine I could afford one. Rawr.

Last night, Elle and I went to CLRG's. I worked on my paper a little bit and Elle and I played guitar hero with his roommate. There was a Pens game on, so CLRG had some work people over and we all wore jerseys and it was festive. Haha. There is one jersey in particular that I am required to wear because it was from his middle school days or something and I am small enough for it. I can always tell when he is going to get them when we are sitting there, hockey has just started and he leaps up without warning and runs into his bedroom. It kills me.

I suspect I should not avoid this paper anymore. Rawr.