Where have I been?

Oh blog readers, I know that I have dropped off the planet. My life lately has been a jumble of activities. I'll try to lay out the past few months for you, catch you up, and start writing again.

Work:

I've been working about 37 hours a week for peanuts at the Pier 1 up here. My assistant manager is horrible and is probably the first person I have never been able to find anything I like about them. I've been trying for 5 months to find something I can like so that I focus on that when I have to deal with her. The search has been fruitless, and I've just about given up hope on her. I spend most of my time at work protecting the associates from the wrath of this woman and it's getting to me. It's a very toxic environment to say the least. The customers up here are also very rude and I get a lot of people who think I'm too young to be a manager.

The job hunt has been very slow goings. Even though I have a degree and a lot of kick-bootie grades, most employers only notice my retail experience so it has been extremely difficult to break into any professional scene. I'm still working on it. I think that to really have the time to find a new job I will have to quit my old one. This is very emotionally taxing since I do love my company and I have been there for 2 years. However, I need a job that is full-time and has benefits. There was a brief lead with a stationary company, but the most they could offer me was 2 part-time positions at once where I shuttled between two of their stores and it was a pay cut.

Home:

The house is slowly coming together. The key word there is slowly. I've been doing some craft projects, we finally hung some stuff up, and our room has a mind of it's own. So far the design is a mix of Pier 1 and Ikea. Ikea is such a magical place and I live 30 minutes from it. I live about 30 minutes from most major retailers. There is even a Tiffanys store somewhere near me. I can't afford anything so I've figured it would be dangerous to go. Anywho, I'll post some pictures of my house updates soon. I need to charge my camera...I haven't done that since we moved and that has affected my blogging.

Steven is amazing. I relish in every moment I have off from work to spend with him. He is so supportive of me and gives the best hugs. It has been great to live with him and have him around all the time. I love it! We play tennis with his family and I'm getting quite good. So much fun!

Health:

Through the stress of the move, my crappy job, and lots of eating, I gained back all the weight I lost for my graduation. So I got a gym membership at an amazing gym called the Freedom Center (the pool has a huge water slide) and I go every morning for 30-45 minutes of cardio. Steven is doing a biggest loser challenge and has lost 20 pounds in 3 weeks. He's doing so well on the program and I'm extremely proud of him.

I discovered soon after I moved here that I needed to have a root canal done. My mother canceled my dental insurance just before my graduation so I've been paying out of pocket. I have been going back to Gloucester for this because it saves me about $700 to go there then to have it done here by an endodontic specialist. In the end it will eat up $2205 from my savings. My tooth also got extremely infected and I had to take a lot of antibiotics. For about 2 weeks all I could eat was mashed potatoes.

Literature:

Where would I be without my books? So far I've spent a lot of time re-reading Harry Potter since the last movie came out. I'm currently reading The Historian. I'm halfway through it and I find it to be predictable. I hope that it gets better because I've had several people recommend it to me and those are normally good books. As Dracula books go, it hasn't been that entertaining for me. After you have experienced the joys of Tanya Huff and her Blood series...one cannot go back to just any vampire story.


Those are the big things that I've been up to. So much has been going on. I need to start writing again for my own sanity it seems, so stay tuned for further updates!

Song Of My Present

I listened to this CD during the summer right before Steven and I got together every night on my hour drive home from waiting tables. Most of the time I was normally on the phone with him.

Shucks, I'm feeling sentimental with my pending move. My apartment is a MESS! Lots to blog about if people would put up my graduation on facebook I could post some pictures!

My Birthday!

Today is my 22nd birthday and it has gone surprisingly well! A lot of you know my horrible history with birthdays; however, this one was probably the best birthday I've ever had.

What produced this magic? I forgot that I was even having a birthday, all I asked for was a key ring because I needed a new one, and I had my honey with me for a whole weekend of celebrations.

Because I forgot about my birthday I wasn't stressed out about it, as is my custom. I wasn't expecting a lot so I ended up getting blown away.

Steven was so great. Saturday we went out to run errands and get breakfast at IHOP. Our breakfast ended up being free since they messed it up (score). I went to work, and Saturday night we saw the new Wolverine movie. I loved it! X-men was probably my favorite thing growing up. Steven got to learn a deep dark secret from my past: I was a marvel fan-girl and still secretly am. Sunday, Steven woke me up with a handmade breakfast of wholegrain, fresh blueberry pancakes, eggs, and birthday muffins with "22" candles. He's the best! (picture soon)

And now on to pictures of the birthday loot from Steven:

Snuggie as a gag gift, but I'm totally going to use it. It also came with a free book-light. :DPride and Prejudice and Zombies! I've been stoked for this book release for months! My friend Di got it for her birthday a week ago, so I was stoked to find Steven had gotten it for me. I'm currently doing my annual read of the original Pride and Prejudice, so starting this will have to wait because I don't want to read it before I go to bed, just in case it's scary.

The shower caddy from Bed, Bath, and Beyond that I've been obsessing about for a year. I know, it's just a shower caddy, but it is amazing and I wanted it for our house that we don't have yet. Can't have our shampoos unorganized when they merge.

The mac-daddy of a gift: my new pink blackberry! I love this thing so much. I had to get a new phone number, so message me on facebook and I'll send it to you. (Don't mind of all my moving boxes in the photo.) It's also very exciting because it's on Steven's phone plan (it's true love when you share phone plans :D) and my e-mail address they set up on the phone starts with "king." I might have actually been more excited about that then the phone. Maybe.

I also got the key ring I asked for and my best friend got me an amazing Andy Warhol Banana bag. It's amazing! I've been wanting one for years.

So all and all, an amazing, amazing birthday weekend.

It Won't be Long, Yeah!

Since I've been experiencing an Across the Universe obsession lately and I get so see my honey this weekend, this song basically sums up my life right now.

Steve is Amazing!

Since I had such a horrible day yesterday, Steven sent me flowers. What a great surprise when I got home to find these beauties outside my door with his sweet note.

I really love him.

They don't replace having him here, but they make it a little more tolerable until I move up north to live with him.


(The ducks were a Pier 1 purchase from Easter. You know, one of those save for the nursery things.)

Fabulous Weekend

My honey was able to surprise me with a visit this weekend. The distraction was much needed since I have 3 weeks left of school and no idea how I'm possibly going to get everything done.

The great thing about the weekendwas the weather! It was so great out! I love how Steven puts up with the kid in me. For instance, Saturday we got a cheap frisbee at the dollar tree and head to the park to throw the frisbee around, blow bubbles into the wind, pick flowers, and run around the baseball diamond. Then Saturday night we put up our new snazzy tent in my living room and "camped out" until Oliver got too rowdy and we decided to save the tent and take it down. However, it was awesome while it lasted!

We're a Cheese Factory

Steven and I are the cheesiest goofs of a couple, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

For instance, when I asked him what he was doing today he replied:

Thinking about you

Writing up some documentation so my gaming group can collaborate on this server i setup yesterday...

Missing you

Taking a shower

Missing you more

Going to find some shoes

Wishing you were helping me shop

(I also love that he happened to put it in parallel form...)

Steven's Graduation

I may, or may not, have mentioned that Steven graduated December 17th. I'm so proud of him! He's only the best computer scientist ever. ;)

PS- I had to sew panels in the sides of his gown. Can't even tell, can you?

Lovey Dovey Kiss Kiss

My pining for a tattoo finally culminated in two gorgeous doves on my wrists. I'm in love with them; although, it's hard to get used to having tattoos in such a visible place. I've ordered some extremely cute cuff bracelets to cover them with.

Tomorrow Steven graduates from college. I'm so excited for him! Tonight his amazing family rolled into town. His mother and I altered his robe (it was too small around the waist since robes are based on height not size. We added some side panels. Steven and Pat--his little brother--played with the cats. :D) Tomorrow my parents come into town...and the parental units meet for the first time. I'm very nervous about that and keeping my new tats covered. My Mother is not a fan of bod mods and my Dad was ok until I got more than him. Tomorrow will be interesting to say the least...kill me now, kthx.

My sister asked about my other tats a while ago so I'll catch everyone up on my previous tattoo endeavors.

1: My stars


2: My flowers

Big News

After much debate, Steven has decided to accept the job offer in northern Virginia. So that means that I'll be staying in the state for a while. It just makes the most sense for us now so that we can save some money and gain work experience.

Too Much Info?

Maybe, but Steven found this picture online and it sums me up perfectly. Not to mention I thought it was hilarious, so I wanted to pass it along (even if it gives way too much detail into my personal life). I know one or two people who can relate, so maybe you can too.

Holiday Tradition

Steven and I have developed an interesting tradition.

Last year we bought each other one of the same Christmas presents: Dane Cook's new cd.

This year we did the same thing: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation...

Yeah, we're that special. ;)

Oh Great Pumpkin!

I finally got to go to the pumpkin patch! I took Steven and his parents (who are so freaking amazing...I mean I love everything about Steven and that includes his incredibly cute family). Again, I'm sorry the pictures turned out grainy. Apparently I needed the flash on because it was overcast even though my camera was giving me the green go-ahead for light. Grr... Lesson learned: always take extra batteries. My camera died before the petting zoo portion of the trip. Steven's dad got a lot of pictures so I'll post them when they send them to me they are sure to be amazing because he has a professional grade camera... gimmie.

And yes, that is a picture of me "milking" a fake cow... I was the only one with the guts. Laughs.

I Finally Dragged Steven To The Park:

Hilarity of Relationships!

So the most hilarious thing happened while Steven and I were watching The Dead Poet Society (one of my faves).

I called Oliver a little stink-butt.

Steven turns to me and says, "who's a little stink-butt?"

Then he grabs me-- twists me into a ball-- and tries to tickle me and then...

I farted.

I'm still laughing-out-loud.

Steven LOVED the poem. I'm glad of it because I was really worried...really, it isn't my forte. Don't be fooled. But he loved it and that's all that matters. He even made me read it to him. That alone was ground breaking!

And apparently he has a surprise for me tomorrow morning, bright and early... basically I'm not going to sleep because I'm so excited... oh so excited...

One year tomorrow... I really can't believe it. I'm in shock to be honest.

It has been such a great year. Probably the best year I've ever had on the emotional front.

The only bad thing about tomorrow is that I have to close at work... but that's kind of the story of my life. Hopefully we will still have time for a romantic evening... got to love those romantic evenings. I've thoroughly missed them!

Ugh! I'm just too happy.

I just wanted to spaz out for a second and say how much I love having Steven back in town again. I missed him so much. I hate when he's gone.

I'm getting very excited for our future. There have been some possible new developments there, but I don't want to get my hopes up by making them "blog official."

So pretty much, I'm head over heels in love (but you all knew that already).

We had our first rainy day here at school. How I love them! However, Blacksburg isn't known for its consistent weather. Tomorrow, it might very well snow.

I was able to break out my sweatshirt for the first time this year. I've had some good times in this sweatshirt. Every study session, every solo illness, every cold fall day I've been wrapped in its warmth. After all, what is the college experience without your favorite logo-wear?

Tonight I had a full night of homework. Ew. That's the life I chose, so I need to stick it out. 78 pages of Robinson Crusoe, a reading journal for what I read, introduction to my Children's Lit book, and I started on 45 pages of reading for Technical Editing. I so should have gone into Professional Writing (kicking myself HARD for being so dumb and academic in my "youth") but I would be darn good at being an editor once I beef up on my grammar. I think editing is what I want to do when it is all said and done and I've paid 40,000 for a piece of paper that doesn't even come framed.

Steven and I went to dinner at this Mexican place we frequent quite often. It wasn't as great as I remembered. I also had a serious craving for ice cream. So I blatantly ate it without the aid of dairy pills. I'm paying for it now twice with Mexican and with dairy. After dinner, Steven came over and we did homework. It was oddly...amazing! We even curled up in bed, each with an assignment and the reading light on. It made me smile.

I've got loads to do this weekend. Steven is going out of town, so I think that will give me a great opportunity to get ahead in some of my reading... I mean my English Novel class... is seriously going to kill me. The History of Tom Jones alone is 896 pages! That's just one of 8 books and about 20 pages worth of papers in that particular class.

This is Amanda freaking out.

So if my blogging is not as prolific in the next few months, I beg your forgiveness in advance because I'm just trying to keep my head above the intellectual waters.

We Never Had Lawn Flamingos

So sorry I disappeared for a few days! Steven got back in to town early. Long story short he came home early and that may or may not have had to do with a little misunderstanding and a slight temper tantrum on my end. Ok, long story: I missed him like I would miss air if I stopped breathing, he wasn't going to come home until the day before school started, and I wanted to have some nice relaxing time with him before my life goes to hell when I start school again and I basically just blew up with rage at some stuff. Either way he got back on Friday. Steven also got his first tattoo and I originally was not thrilled about it, but it is growing on me.

Our weekend was off to a rough start but I'm sort of glad for it. We got out some issues and that was great. I have missed him. Him being gone was like a giant piece of myself was gone and I just couldn't find it. It was like trying to find a missing item and looking everywhere you thought you'd placed it, going to all the old familiar places and realizing it isn't anywhere.

I missed all of him, every single bit. Being away from him for a little bit, even though we're in the same town again, is torture! Right now: I miss him and he was just here. I miss having him sleep in the same room with me the most. That's something I got very used to for the brief period I stayed with him last school year due to problems in my apartment. I got used to hearing him doze off and then seeing him when I woke up. This weekend he stayed with me at my apartment. We slept holding hands and I couldn't stop hugging him. I think I could have smothered him with all my affection. Every time I woke up I'd mumble: "I could do this forever" and "I love you." Both are truths.

On the more hilarious side: I also mumbled to him once that "We never had lawn flamingos" and also tried to offer him our latest harvest candle scents at Pier 1. Oh my... but he took it all in stride saying: "Pink? No way, we can spray paint them white though." This is why I love him.

Fast Breaking News: Amanda has her last first day of school tomorrow. First class: Renaissance Lit (totally already thinking of dropping for Chaucer) at 9:30 am.

Ugh. If You're Coming My Way: Bring French Fries.

I really hope a stomach bug isn't going around. I have no desire to be ill, but every time I eat something I feel the very strong urge to throw up. I hate throwing up above all things and I can keep it in unless it is virally induced. Really , I've developed it as an art form.

I feel like I want to throw up when I don't eat, but the urge is way less so I have had no appetite. All I've eaten in the past day and a half (plus) has been 2 breakfast bars and 2 things of fast food fries. The breakfast bars upset my tummy, but ironically the fries do not. Maybe that is because potatoes have always been my sick food of choice.

The tummy issues need to go away because Steven is coming back today! He wasn't supposed to come back until Sunday but we had a...well I dunno what to call it. I wouldn't exactly call it a fight, but some issues came up and as always my temper ran away with me. I always get so fixated when I'm mad and I don't get hostile when I'm mad I just cry: a lot. Always have. And I tend not to fight fair (ok I can be a down right shit), although I have learned I shouldn't say anything good or bad until I have calmed down. It took almost losing my best friend since the second grade to learn that. You live, you learn, right?

Anyroad, he is coming back and that is all I care about right now. I've just wanted him home for months. It is all I've thought about every second of every day and now he's coming home. I'm so excited about it I was up at 6:45 am. Who wakes up that early just because? A girl who has seriously missed her best friend and love. And a girl who needs to clean her apartment, laughs.

He shouldn't get back until the late afternoon so I've got loads of time to kill. I think that I'll go out and get more french fries (gross I know, but they satiate me) and then I want to go get Amy some baby clothes at the good will. You may say... goodwill? But babies grow so quickly some of those clothes have only been worn twice or never. Ames doesn't have hardly anything for her baby yet and I'm so excited to meet "Peanut" that's what we've nicknamed them since Amy doesn't want to know the gender.

And can I rant for a second? I think blue is a completely acceptable color for both genders. Blue and pink weren't even established as set gender colors until the 1940's. Until that time pinks and red were actually considered masculine. I learned that in my history of costume class this summer. It made me a little mad because I have always loved blue and gotten crap for it. 3 years old: "What color do you want to paint your new room, Amanda?" "BLUE!" So... if some of the things I get for the baby happen to be blue I'm going to pull a Hermione and tell the facts about "gender colors." Don't get me started on how boys wore dresses either...and from a practical standpoint it makes sense. Onesies are a complete pain to button over diapers and then put pants over. Dresses are simple. Anyways, rant finished...

Amanda trivia: Yellow is my absolute favorite baby color.