A Heart's a Heavy Burden

I really feel like I should write an entry, and I WANT to, but I can't think of what to say!

Well, we did get the official call for an available townhouse. The projected move-in date is July 8, which is a Sunday. That sucks and we're going to talk to them about Saturday instead. Seriously. I would just request the Monday after off, but I am planning to request the previous Monday off as I will be partaking in the Warrior Dash on July 1 and expect to be dead afterwards. Anyway, I applied for Steve and myself (the online application conveniently gives you the option, when listing roommates, to apply for them as well. I didn't feel like paying $560 up front though, so I simply applied for Steve and myself).

Today we had some errands to do, so we decided to check out the specific unit we're applying for. We drove all the way down to the end of the community, and were pleased to discover a type of cul-de-sac where the unit is, conveniently with its own parking lot. The model we were shown was down a generic street with parking inbetween sets of buildings and much more inconvenient.


Here's sort of a view of the lot. If you were in the driver's seat and looking forward instead of to the side like the camera, that's where our unit is.


Ours is second from the right (brick). The white one on the far right is the end unit.

( Here's plain and 3D floor plan )

Ours will be filled with nothing like in the pictures though ahaha. Much more games and much less dining room tables. Steve and mine will be the not-master bedroom. Our counter will be bigger in the bathroom, but we might have to stop showering together in the morning and that will be totally lame. We'll see. The garage will be particularly great because there's ample storage space. Steve and I plan on trying to cut down even more on our stuff (though we did get rid of a lot when we moved back to his parents' house) so that we don't feel cramped. Anyway, we're very excited and plan on saving as much as possible in the two months until then (we already have over $6000 saved). Rent will be $1380/4 and has all the upgrades we hoped for (microwave, countertops, paint, carpet etc.).

Regardless of the unit itself, it's in a great neighborhood. We drove around the area, scoping out trails and paths. It's located right by several food and shopping areas, is directly behind my doctor and walking distance to the DMV. It's biking distance from two GameStops and several parks and a lake. It's awesome.

I feel loads better than at the end of last week. I just spent the weekend doing whatever I wanted... mostly laying in bed, but also reading a good amount of the newest Stephen King book (11/22/63), playing WoW, and hanging out with people. I told my closest colleagues before my resignation was posted, but when I went to tell Priya, she was all "OMG I PUT MINE IN TODAY!!!!!" (the day after me) So I didn't feel so bad. MHR has lost 5 CMs this month, including me. =O And now I realize why Cassie was SO MAD at me - she thinks Priya and I were conspiring to quit together, when in fact, we had NO IDEA of the other's plans. It's interesting, we started on the same day, and we're quitting on the same day.

I think I will be far happier as a para (assuming I get one of these jobs). I interviewed for one last Friday, have an interview for one this Friday, and applied to one more over the weekend. I needed a few days to realize that making money =/= happiness, and prestige isn't everything. Then I felt relieved and free.

Steve and I have also decided to move in with his parents for the next few months to save on rent, while we wait for the right time to move into the Woodbury place. We've saved a good chunk already and are getting about 3 grand back in tax refund money in a couple days, most of which is going right into savings (my state refund is going towards our credit line aka Grim's bills). Steve has so much student loan debt that even if he put all of our refund money toward it, it won't even make a dent. Poor guy. But anyway, moving back in with his parents will save us at least another $2400, and we'll already have most things packed and ready by the time we move in the summer! Primo plan, me thinks.

Last night, winter tried again to be successful. There was about 4 inches of snow on the cars this morning and Steve said he was 20 minutes late to work because of the traffic. It is quite slooshy outside as the temperature is in the mid-20's and the snow is fluffy. The worst was that it freezing rained before it snowed, so I ran my car for like 20 minutes to get it at least melted off the windows - the scraper wasn't helping.

This weekend I spent mostly to myself, even when I was with people. We hung out at the bropartment on Saturday evening but I just sat quietly and read the third book of the Hunger Games. Well, I DID almost put Scott's head through a wall. He chews SO LOUDLY in normal life (one of my MAJOR pet peeves), but that night he decided to chew gum so it was NEVER ENDING. Right when I was about to move entirely across the room, he spit it out. Thank god. On Sunday I picked up the nanny kids, seeing them for the first time in almost 2 years, and we went back to my place and watched Avatar: The Last Airbender the whole time. They played with the kitties and laser pointers, but were generally very quiet and well-behaved. It was a marked change from the endless energy they had as 6-year-olds, that's for sure! But it was probably a rare change for them being able to watch hours of tv on a cold, dreary winter day. When I picked them up, the only comment I got was from Micah, who said I looked different (which I do - last time we were together I was blond and didn't have a nose piercing). Jen, their mom, ran up to me and gave me a hug. It was very sweet. I'm babysitting them again on February 5th, probably doing the exact same thing with the kids.

On Saturday Jenna and I went to the townhome place, and were immediately disappointed when we discovered that the woman we talked to messed it up and our appointment wasn't on the lady, Anna's, calendar. However, we sat in their "business office" while we waited (it has a computer with high-speed internet, copy/fax machine, and some plush chairs, all for tenant's free use) and went over the floor plans again and wrote down our top 5 choices. We also discussed several things regarding our desires and where our cars will go, etc. We each have a vehicle, but Steve has a station wagon and Jenna drives a CRV, so Nick and I would likely get any garage space anyway because we drive sedans.

Interestingly, when shown paper copies of the floor plans and when Anna pointed out that if both bedrooms have connected bathrooms guests will have to go into someone's bedroom to use the facilities, our top choices changed. We looked at two units. Both were decent, but we fell in love with a two-level called Lakeland. It's actually three levels as the townhome itself sits above a MASSIVE garage that could comfortably fit three cars (but is designed for two). Also, I know this is probably taken for granted by most, but it has ITS OWN GARBAGE AND RECYCLE BINS!!!!! This is HUGE because my current apartment DOES NOT have recycling, and I hate it. Also we have to bring our garbage down to a scary dumpster about a hundred feet away from our apartment, so Steve is usually the one who does that as I don't feel safe going that far by myself. Especially because it gets dark so early now. And it's cold.

Anyway, it's a little over 1300-square feet, and there's a living room as well as a den, with the kitchen inbetween. There's a washer and dryer in a closet in the den. The kitchen is compact - designed to be able to spin in a circle to use all the counter space without having to feel burdened. There's a breakfast bar surrounding the kitchen too. The next floow has the bedrooms. Jenna and Nick will be getting the "master" bedroom (13'6x14', whereas ours will be 12'x13') and the connecting bathroom. Because they have a linen closet in their bathroom, Steve and I will get the majority of the closet between the rooms. Steve and I will have individual closets (this unit doesn't have walk-ins, which is fine) in the bedroom. The biggest downside is that it's only 1.75-bath, so Steve and I only get a shower stall. This is only a burden because we shower together as routine, and there's not a lot of room XD

As for the pet policy, on paper it doesn't state the cats have to be declawed. We're still debating on telling them or just sneaking the cats in. But Anna loved us and we talked video games and boyfriends and what we like about living spaces. We signed a Future Occupancy Agreement that states that if a unit becomes available in the months that we specified (May-September) we will take it up to a certain price (which we listed at $1400, but Anna said we will pay around $1200-$1250 maximum). Then we had lunch with the boys and squee'd over how amazing the townhome is and how gorgeous and how much we all want to move RIGHT NOW. But even if we could, it's just not feasible or smart to move in the winter. So we wait.

On top of this, Steve and I had a very serious talk about my job this weekend, and it was decided that I'm going to quit. I plan on telling my supervisors by the end of the week. Originally Steve and I thought a month would be sufficient time for them to tie up the loose ends, but today while looking through my schedule I decided it would be best to work through the end of February, just so we'll all have a little less stress. The job is very dictated by the months. We debated the merits of doing those last two months to make my one year, but I don't think I'll be able to hold it together until then. I'm cracking already as it is. I have begun applying to various retail positions in the interim (the most exciting at the Hustler store in Minneapolis - I've ALWAYS wanted to work at a specialty store like that), as well as hospital and paraprofessional jobs. I loved my job as a para even if the school system's kind of a bitch, and Steve got really excited because he thought it was great when I was a para. I only ever left the job because I couldn't drive the 40 miles to Shakopee and back every day anymore once I moved.

But I've decided that I am done with mental health, probably forever. At least with adults. I love mental illness in theory, but hate it in practice. Haha. I also don't feel as bad leaving now that they fired an amazing colleague for fraud. She has a domestic partner, like a LEGAL domestic partner, but he's male. She had him on her insurance as it had the option, but when they found out he was male they flipped out and said it was only for SAME SEX domestic partners and that it was HER choice not to get married. And said she committed fraud. And fired her. It's bullshit and they're losing a great worker and person. Oh, and she's 8 months pregnant. And will have no benefits at the end of this month. Nice.

I know it's risky to not have a job already lined up, but with the time I have left and the nature of the job, prospective employers won't be happy to earn I have over a month left, and I don't have a lot of time to job hunt. Steve and I have enough money to float on for at least a month or two, and we'll be getting our tax returns in a couple months. My history with finding jobs is in my favor, but there's still the fear of not having one. And I won't have benefits for awhile. Getting my IUD then was a good move.   

Today with work was pretty depressing because I only had depressed clients... lol. I should think ahead next time I schedule them; it really brings me down by the end of the day!

I bought the majority of Steve's gifts today online and tomorrow I'm going to venture out for the final one. I'm super excited! We set a $175 limit for each other. Otherwise I don't actually know how much we spent on other people this year. We have so many to buy for! But it's nice having the money to be able to do that without worrying.

Speaking of money, Steve and I have begun looking for a new place once it stops being cold again. We moved here in April, but our lease is technically month to month so we can move whenever we want. I love our cute little ghetto place, because it is the right amount of space for us, but NOT the right amount of storage or kitchen space. The location is pretty good in terms of ease of access to highways and the cities we frequent, but not very quiet or even particularly safe. And receiving packages is HELL when it's from UPS.

The places that we want are generally apartments and townhomes (though I'm mentally ready to get a mortgage and a house, but Steve is holding back as a result of his student loan fears and whatnot, which is understandable), but they are expensive! Steve and I can comfortably afford a few hundred dollars than we pay now, but the exact specifications we want/need (want: in-unit washer and dryer, need: allowing two non-declawed cats) add a pretty high amount.

Interestingly, Nick was texting me today about how much he hates living with Pat, because all Pat does is complain about Scott (he also complains TO Scott, who DOES NOT CARE). Now, Scott is a horrible roommate. I give that to Pat. He leaves plates with food on them everywhere, doesn't do his dishes or clean up after himself. However, Steve warned Pat about this when they wanted to move in together, but Pat didn't listen. And now he spends every day being The Mom and nagging the other two. Nick jokingly suggested that he wanted to live with me and Steve, because while we are generally neat, we're not Nazis about cleanliness and have periods of leaving clothes on the floor or letting a few dishes pile up in the sink (bowls, not plates - because plates WOULDN'T FIT). In light of my recent apartment search, I actually considered the thought for a bit. Nick appears to be a good roommate. He keeps to himself mostly and is pretty laid-back. Getting a two-bedroom (with rooms not adjacent to each other) would be cheaper overall. Rent would not likely be split evenly as Nick makes far less than Steve or I do, but his contribution would definitely help and keep the rent for the two of us in our price range.

When I discussed the idea with Steve he got all giddy, because he never lived with roommates before and adores Nick so he'd kind of get his bro roommate time! XD I'd just have to come to terms with less privacy, but if Nick continues his current work schedule it won't be a huge issue, because he gets home around the time we go to bed. I'm super excited to move!

Also, a note about the weather... a few days ago it was 8 degrees, and yesterday it was in the 40's... the snow has mostly melted because of this. *I* don't mind the warm weather. :)

During our cutie week, Steve and I have decided to sleep whenever we feel like, and be awake whenever we feel. This has led to long "naps" XD It's our last week to sleep at the same time, and we're taking advantage of it.

We went to Ikea yesterday (It was my first time!!) and wandered around the entire store. We have some very good items selected, which we will purchase on Thursday. The only things we actually bought from there yesterday were a small (cute!) lamp, an adorable wavy full-length mirror set for me, and some pan holders. After that, we went to Mall of America, because it's right next door.

There we ate (I had Pita Pit! Mmm) and wandered. We stopped in the two Love Sac stores (one is generic and actually feels better than original Love Sacs) to get an idea of the price. I think we'll ask for gift cards to help us get one at the end of the year or something. We stopped in The Tea Garden and sampled all the teas, and Steve admitted to loving that I love tea and wanting me to make some for us! Awww! By the time we left, we were both exhausted, but we had to stop in Shakopee and go through my old room and the bookshelf, so all my stuff will be ready by the weekend. We probably can't get the bookshelf til Saturday or Sunday, because Nick's dad is the only one with a truck, and Nick stupidly took Saturday and Sunday off instead of Friday and Saturday! We'll probably be done with moving most things by Sunday :/ It'll be a great help not having to take our two crappy entertainment centers, and instead have the easy-to-carry new ones we'll have bought.

I've been watching a lot of Jon and Kate Plus 8 and knitting Courtney a birthday card. Steve's about to beat Halo: Reach. Athena was correct; I found regular-sized almond milk in the milk aisle! ^_^ They were 2 for $3, so we got 2! Unsweetened.

So, it turns out that the problem with my phone WAS the battery XD I got the new phone in the mail, and it wouldn't turn on! When exchanging phone units, you keep your sim, charger, and battery, btw. So we took it into the T-Mobile store, and the woman got it to START the turn-on process (at which point Steve and I were gaping, because we couldn't get it to do ANYTHING), and then she literally threw the battery and went in the back and found a spare (yayyy no waiting for a new one to be shipped!). It's really cool that I got a new phone anyway, without dents, and a clean slate. My pictures and apps transferred to the new unit (I had only a couple - an egg timer and stop watch XD). I added a really cool app that claims to show the CallerID of incoming calls, and purports to have a call-blocking feature. I'm testing it out with a telemarketer that calls me ALL the time. They stopped calling for a couple weeks after calling 2-4 times every day for several months, but it started again last week. I'm hoping it actually DOES block the calls, especially since I know for a fact that the dial-outs are a machine until they hear a voice, at which point you are transferred to a real person (I've tried to ask them to stop calling before).

If AT&T actually buys T-Mobile (the merger is still planned but not a hundo percent, last I heard), I'm totally getting an iPhone if they ever offer it. ^_^ Although, at this point, they're still saying they won't. Depending on how the merger goes, I might actually switch carriers. As discussed previously, I already pay a large chunk to T-Mobile. If prices were to change due to AT&T messing with the data plan prices and whatnot (T-Mobile's is cheaper than AT&T's), I'd probably wait until I was able to break the contract without penalty, via the contract opening up as a result of this merger, and maybe get Verizon? I never hear anything about Sprint, and Verizon's the main competition for AT&T. *shrug* Who knows?!

On Saturday I went out to dinner with my dad's family. It was nice, we just talked a lot and had a good time. Nothing major. On the way home I noticed I needed oil, so I went to get some from a nearby gas station. Then I noticed I didn't have my wallet. Crap. I last saw it at the restaurant we were at, because I had taken it out to show my ID for a margarita. When we got there, the hostess asked if I needed a kids menu. A kid's menu that says '8 and under' on it. Now, I know I may look young, but you gotta be kidding! XD I thought it was hilarious and she was super embarrassed.

Anyway. So, I was worried about running out of oil, because I don't know at what point my car tells me I need it. Is it DIRE? Or just a , "Hey, you should put a couple quarts in me in the near future, but it's all g for a little longer!" But driving to get my wallet was really the only option, unless I could pay the cashier in a few coins and plushies. I typed the location into my handy phone GPS and got there just fine, and they had it waiting for me (there was a terrible moment as I neared the location where I feared it fell out in my dad's car and wasn't at the restaurant at all)! Then there was the issue of putting cool oil in a hot car, but at 11pm in a strange area, I didn't feel like waiting 20 minutes. I need an oil change anyway. The old Leah would have gotten upset, panic-stricken, and likely angry as a reaction, but I was very proud of how calm and accepting I was. I attribute some of this to self-growth, but mostly to Steve teaching me how to accept the things I can't change, and even if they suck, it's better to have a good attitude than a shitty one. <3

On Sunday Bethany called to vent about how stressed she is because their downstairs neighbor is harassing her and Sarah about the kids running around the apartment. Bethany said she and Sarah weren't home for the initial incident, so they went and talked to her on their own time. They describe the lady as a meth head (scraggly, skinny, rotted teeth), and that she said around 8 or 9pm she needs to "wind down" and that the kids need to be quiet. Bethany said the kids go to bed at 9pm. The lady mentioned that it's fine in the morning and during the day though, so Sarah said, "...so, you're home all day?" Meant to get a grasp of the lady's schedule and to probably somewhat insinuate that she doesn't have a difficult schedule, and the lady took it as quite insulting. :P She also yelled at them about cigarette butts on her deck, but Bethany says they never throw their butts, and it's probably the people above them. I just told her to complain to the managers if she doesn't stop, because they need to be able to live. Cayden just turned 1 and Tristan just turned 2; they don't understand why they can't play "too loud", and Cayden's a chunker who just learned to walk so he naturally walks heavy. I just feel bad because that EXACT situation is what Bethany was worried about. Thank god Steve and I live on the ground floor, seriously. I can't stand that stuff.

Oh, and this is my last week with People Inc. I'm not mad at it, nor do I hate it, but since I have a tag about leaving a job, I'm using it XD I'm really excited to start my new job, and to have a week off inbetween to prepare, and also to switch my sleep schedule. It's going to be so weird! Steve and I packed most of our things on Saturday. All we have left is a few odds and ends, all the big stuff (furniture, shelves, computer etc.), the systems we're using, and clothes we need for the next 2 weeks. Otherwise, we're getting ready to go! I wish we could just drop by and throw the boxes in the place even if we can't unpack them yet. So antsy!

Whew! Yesterday was quite busy. So busy, in fact, that I made a cute map for you.

( Mappu~! )

So. We went all over the metro area. AND! We were home by 1:30pm. AND we didn't rush at all. Amazing, I know

1. We signed our lease. The purple arrow points at the blue dot where we'll live. ^_^ Anyway. I've decided I love slightly janky, ghetto apartment complexes. We pay $35 for utilities, rent isn't even considered late until day 5, we get to record the damages on our own time, it's month-to-month technically so we can live there indefinitely and only need to give a month's notice, we get to paint for free (on the condition that if we do a shitty job we have to paint it back), and no pet fee or pet deposit! :DDDD

2-3. We went to Columbia Heights for La Casita, a Mexican restaurant. Steve wanted an El Loro, but we couldn't locate any, so we went there. While we waited for it to open we stopped by GameStop and I got Ar Tonelico Qoga, which came out yesterday. SOOOOO EXCITEDDDD!!!

4-5. Then we went to T-mobile but stopped at Caribou next door first. My phone is crap and being stupid. I told the guy about how it shuts off when it wants. He clicked the unlock button, and VOILA! It turned off. So he's ordering me a new one for free (versus the stupid battery thing, which he agreed he didn't think is the issue)!

6. Stopped at Michael's for yarn.

7. Went to Office Max to buy a giant white board to keep track of all my soon-to-be clients on, because otherwise I know I'm never going to be able to keep track of them all.

I also called about my tax stuff, and get to pick up the paper today. Since I have to go to Shakopee anyway, we're going to have lunch with Mom because she works nearby. Yay!

I have so much more to say but I ran out of time!

I don't feel like doing my 30-day thingy today. Will resume tomorrow

I've been in a rut lately, and it's the annoying kind of rut. Not the kind where I just sleep all the time, but the kind where things irritate me more easily than normal, and I'm snappish. I don't like it. I'm also back to 130 pounds D: I feel gross and all my pants are tight and everything is just frowny.

But! Good news? I GOT THAT JOBBBBB. Woo. I'd be far more ZOMG YES SQUEE BEST THING EVAR if I wasn't so pants-shitting nervous about all the responsibility I accepted, and my selfish crybabying about Steve and I going back to opposite schedules. That means only two more weeks of cleaning and sitting around doing nothing though! I really can't wait. Mom was very insistent on letting me know how Paul was all gushing to her about it, which was cute. My auntie Connie also sent me a bunch of kind words and good vibes via Facebook because her phone won't text me (lol, or her daughter. Two of the people she texts most!). I love her to death! She's the best.

The job has 18 days of vacation time, 9 holidays off, I'm salaried (at least they gave me the impression that I am), and they offered me the highest pay they could. Looking at statistics online, it would appear that I make around the 77th percentile for a Case Manager. Which is likely true, because I passed up a LOT of great-looking jobs based on the fact that they pay equal to or even often LESS than what I make as a glorified janitor. Sooo... woo! A few thousand more dollars per year won't hurt me, and I think I got lucky because I have a variety of experience but very little targeted experience, and basically NO experience in making connections with resources (ahhhhh!). Like I said, 9 times out of 10, if I get the interview, I get the job.

INTERJECTION RANT: Skateville hasn't returned my calls and I haven't gotten my amended tax form (it's been a month), so I STILL can't file for my tax return yet  >:[

/rant

This weekend we went to my sister's new place. It's really nice. Three-bedroom, shared with her best friend (and her boyfriend and her son) and her own family. The boys share a room, Sarah and Chris get a room, and Bethany and Tony get the biggest room. Sarah and Chris's bed is exactly what Steve and I are probably going to get (framewise, I already have the bed itself).  Here's kinda what we're looking for, but much less swanky. I LOVE the style of bed where the mattress is recessed into the frame. It's cute and compact, and prevents the cats from climbing under the bed. Sarah said they got theirs from Ikea (and that it was pretty cheap), but Ikea's website is complete crap so I can't show you.

It was Sarah's boy Tristan's birthday, so it was a good excuse to check out the new digs and get free homemade egg rolls from Chris's mom, Summai. XD She makes like a billion egg rolls for every huge occasion and they are YUMMY. Tony said he was interested in seeing OUR place. I assured him we went the money-saving route and our apartment is not nearly as nice-looking as theirs. Because it's not. It's gonna be cute!

At 10am Steve and I are signing our lease!!! SOOOO excited for that. I have all these plans for food and spices and jars to store things in instead of plastic baggies and painting and book shelves and game shelves and the cat tower! Oh, so excited. Speaking of the cats, I've switched them AGAIN foodwise. I discovered that Nero just licks the juice from the wet food and leaves the rest to get crumbly and dry, and Grim still prefers the dry food overall. So! I spent like a half hour at the store, reading ALL the labels on the dry food, and finally selected a food that had gross things like corn meal or brewer's rice as far down in the ingredients as I could get without breaking the bank. I can't remember what brand it was, probably PurinaOne, but it was a special type that only comes in smaller bags and has turkey as its first ingredient, and some other meat as the second. I was going to completely wean them over a week, but Grim went crazy immediately for it and is actually AVOIDING the food he's been so set on for the last... his whole life! Yay!

I opened an ArtFire account. Only the basic account until I see if my items sell. I only have two things up on there right now, just experiments I made yesterday. You can check them out here. They're not anything great, but I wanted to at least get SOMETHING up on there. I'm starting a pillow tonight, my first attempt at double knitting (not to be confused with duplicate stitch)! Yayyyy knitting! Yay being crafty!

Okay, must stop futzing on computer. O_O

There's been a bit of tension lately, mostly surrounding the unknown of the next couple of months. Two of my three references have confirmed talked to the company and both (obviously) said they gave me rave reviews. The fact that they asked me to come back to sign a background check vs just not contacting me and wasting the time is another. I was supposed to do it the day of the interview but it was forgotten, and if *I* were a hiring manager, if I didn't plan on hiring someone I wouldn't take the time to do a background check on them if they'd already left and didn't bring it up themselves. *shrug*

Because I feel like I at least have a high CHANCE of getting this job, I'm already feeling more annoyed than ever with my current job. Most of the people bug the crap out of me. They're just not the kind of personalities I enjoy. God, one woman usually provides an unpleasant "someone just smeared poop under my nose" face with every statement she makes (as she's usually saying something negative or "correcting" someone). I'm so glad she's not usually looking my way, because I think I'm often watching the corners of her mouth dip and her pointy nose hook so intently that I start to imitate her a little bit. It's just a really ugly face to make so frequently!

Steve really wants to get a second job to supplement our income, and if I get this job it would likely be a little bit more pay than I get now. He's been looking but he doesn't want to apply to places until he sees how my schedule changes if I get this job. The hours would be 8am-4pm on paper, but I would need to meet my clients' needs and if that meant meeting in the evening, then I'd meet in the evening. They told me it was going to be a ridiculous amount of paperwork, so I imagine myself looking like Miranda from Sex and the City, getting home and immediately starting on more work. Who knows?! Busy busy busy.

I was a good girl today and saw that I had an extra $100 or so in my checking before I get paid tomorrow, so I decided to put it to one of my pet bills. I racked up $2700 on Grim, so now I gotta slowly chip away at it. It's kinda depressing to see all the debt I'm in that isn't even my student loans (though I'm already ahead - payment's not due til May, and I plan to keep paying every paycheck to keep ahead so I never have to worry about it), but I always feel good when I make a payment.

Sparked from a discussion on another journal, I thought about how I pay almost $80 a month for my phone. It's just kinda creeped its way up there through various additions. Really, it was because I took a hit and added my sister to my account, so we have a family plan, which is more expensive overall, but cheaper than if I had a single plan with basically no features. Phones be gettin' expensive! Speaking of phones, I've hated mine since like a week and a half after I got it. I learned today while talking with customer support that I've owned it for 5 months already, which is neat. Anyway, it started when it appeared my receiver was misaligned and I couldn't hear people when they called, except for a faint whisper. That eventually fixed itself (I think I dropped it and it fixed it XD). But for awhile now, it turns off whenever it damn well pleases. The rate at which it turns off is random - sometimes I'll turn it back on and it'll turn right back off like 4 or 5 times in a row. Sometimes it'll turn off because I clicked the unlock button. It definitely turns off any time I smack it or put pressure on it (though, oddly, a lot of times it DOESN'T if it falls from my pocket to the floor. Wtf). According to my phone insurance guy, I could pay the $40 and have a new phone tomorrow. Which is yay and convenient. Or, he said I was still under warranty and that it sounded defective and I have no cracks (some dents on the plastic but he said those didn't matter) and no water damage, so I could get it replace for the cost of shipping through T-Mobile. So I got transferred there. The lady at T-mobile said it was a battery issue, which is not covered under T-mobile and said to call Nokia because it IS covered under them. So. I'm waiting til 8 apparently to call.

I can see how it'd be a battery issue, because it'd turn off any time the connectors shifted away (hence when bumped). But! There doesn't appear to be damage to either my phone's plates or the battery's connectors. So I'm skeptical. Hrm!

I also emailed the woman we've been working with to get our lease signed. She said they'd be in contact this month, but Steve and I are eager to sign the lease and get the first month's rent out of the way. We're so excited to move allll our shtuff and buy things to help organize, such as shelving (including bookshelves, though Paul told me I could take the bookcase that resides at my parents' house that his dad made me a long time ago, which is zomg yay!!!! MOAR SPAISE FORE BUUUUKS) and maybe an armoire from an auction or thrift store to help manage our clothes, because I think in my excitement of the greatness of every other part of the apartment that I forgot to notice there was only one closet.

Interesting to note: since we've been feeding the cats higher-quality wet food (with a small bowl of dry food), they poop FAR less frequently. Like, at first we thought they were maybe having digestive issues associated with switching foods, but there's NO WAY they could backed up (in comparison) for a whole month! Like, they used to go several times a day, and now it's every other day or something. Okay, so the cans of wet food say to feed them one can per 3 pounds of cat... I can't IMAGINE them eating 5 cans a day EACH! They've been splitting like a can a day (plus whatever dry food they eat), and aren't crying for more food. Maybe they ARE having digestive issues. I don't know. They're also consuming a lot more water with the new fountain thing, which I keep in the bedroom and monitor like a hawk. Grim is still peeing poorly and licking himself a lot, but he's been quite active and playful, and eats and drinks normally, so I'm going to try not to stress TOO much about it. I still have the old bottle of anti-anxiety/muscle relaxing medication, the lower dose, in case I get worried enough that he needs help relaxing.

The one downfall I see in drinking so much tea is that I get all hydrated, so I notice IMMEDIATELY when I'm getting dehydrated XD Steve and I have started playing In The Groove again aka DDR. We need to pick up a new copy of DDR X because it somehow got scratched or something and freezes at the song I need to play in order to progress in the game (I'm at like 85%). They're only like $5. In the meantime then, ITG. After attempting a particularly difficult song, Steve was walking around the room, huffing and puffing, and I said,

"See don't you just wanna lay on the floor?" Cause that's what I do when I'm all huffy and worn out, and he retorted,

"I don't think a fitness regimen should include 15 minutes of exercise and 30 minutes of laying in an X formation!" XDDDD

Ah, long rambly entry is long and rambly. I should really do my paperwork; writing this took far longer than it should have, what with distractions and helping clients and generally wasting time. And HOMG I thought I lost this entry cause I accidentally unplugged the cable, but THANKFULLY it had been saving drafts. My heart almost stopped. @_@