1. Taxes
2. When you're single and decide to move back to your college home, you constantly have to struggle with "Am I looking like the loser who wants to relive past glories of the college days?" Yes. I probably do.
3. When you get old enough so that your body starts getting and feeling old in some ways, it's not fun. Especially when you have to go to the doctor often and take phenergan on a daily basis and have ga-zillions of medical tests, and, eventually, surgery, which kind of made it worse more than it made it better. You just can't be fun like you were in college, ergo, you are that loser who can't live in the present.
4. Household responsibilities. Cat-proofing the house, making the bed, running the dishwasher, doing the laundry, trying to stay warm, paying all the bills, keeping everything clean.
5. Dressing appropriately. I'm a girly-girl. I like dressing up. But I don't like dressing conservatively. But then, I can't dress trendy because that is too young looking and I'm too old to dress young. Not fun. And I can no longer get away with wearing sweatpants and t-shirts. It looks schlumpy.
6. Cars. I have to have a car to get to work (and sometimes to do my job). But when some high school girl without a driver's license and insurance and a car of her own totals your trusty Accord, the last car your parents said they would buy for you, and you loved that Accord because it was so reliable and you were counting on driving it for a couple more years, and you have to get another car, which ends up being a piece of crap, and you have to get another new car, which is a grown up car that symbolizes everything you don't want to be at the moment, it's just not fair.
7. Make up. I used to wear it for fun and to look nice. Now I have to wear it so people don't think I'm older than I am. (Not that I wear it as much as I should, but I am wearing it more than I used to.) I've probably bought more make up in the past year than I have in the past four years (the up-side of having a boyfriend who just doesn't care).
8. Going from having a boyfriend that just doesn't care how I look to realizing I can't get very far looking schlumpy.
9. Other responsibilities. I volunteer, I work, I am trying to establish a career, and my family always seems to need me. How do get things done? I don't.
10. Career. How do I pick just one? It would be much simpler if I could get paid to do my volunteer work. I enjoy it. I'm good at it. Too bad the economy is in flux and federally funded organizations have to cut back. It also doesn't help that I have a political science degree and the volunteer work I do is in the health field. So, what's my next step. Real estate school? I'm there, but I'm not motivated. Massage therapy school? I would love to, but I have three options: Go to Southern Union (where I have to wear black and white scrubs, give up a year of Monday-Thursday nights, not have the flexibility to work in Birmingham, and I would have to take my anatomy classes online), go to Birmingham School of Massage (where I would give up six months of my life, which includes Summer and most of football season), or go to Virginia College (where I have to wear KHAKI scrubs, pay an arm and a leg for tuition, and give up the flexibility I have for two years). Open a store? Yes, please. But then, I would have to deal with even more grown up things and I wouldn't make instant profit. (Unless I get really lucky by some fluke of economics.)
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Now that I'm all grown up
I decided to get ready for my housecleaning today by going through an old journal. (Read: I purposefully distracted myself.) I started keeping a journal my senior year of high school and basically quit my second year of college. I mostly wrote about the boys I wanted to date and all the ills that go along with being old enough and mature enough to do certain things, but not being allowed to do them. Or not having enough money to do them. I would also write some rough poetry.
I found this line, dated July 2, 2002.
Sometimes I wonder if college is worse than high school ... but then adulthood can be stupid too.
Priceless.
High school was HORRIBLE for me, aside from the last couple of months. I just did not want to be there. And I don't really want to go back there in memories right now because, as I have said, it was HORRIBLE. I remember begging my mother to let me be home schooled my senior year. Most of my friends were already in college. I didn't feel like I had a place. Don't get me wrong: I had friends. I had some really good friends. And I had some really good times with those really good friends. I just felt like I could make better use of my time not having two free periods and taking a couple of other classes I didn't need to graduate. (Which equaled half the school day in total.)
College was awesome. Eventually. It started off pretty rough. Although I had some more really good times living in the dorm, I now realize (eight years later) that having my own private living space was absolutely necessary. At the time I committed that quote to paper (with ink, of course), I was living at my parent's house, going to community college. I blossomed at community college, but I learned, although I didn't realize it, the early college years are not much different from high school. You have slightly more freedom, but you aren't really old enough to do the REALLY fun things.
I have written about some of my favorite college memories, and there are plenty more to be written, so I won't go into that now.
But adulthood - that's not much fun either. At least, right now it isn't.
I found this line, dated July 2, 2002.
Sometimes I wonder if college is worse than high school ... but then adulthood can be stupid too.
Priceless.
High school was HORRIBLE for me, aside from the last couple of months. I just did not want to be there. And I don't really want to go back there in memories right now because, as I have said, it was HORRIBLE. I remember begging my mother to let me be home schooled my senior year. Most of my friends were already in college. I didn't feel like I had a place. Don't get me wrong: I had friends. I had some really good friends. And I had some really good times with those really good friends. I just felt like I could make better use of my time not having two free periods and taking a couple of other classes I didn't need to graduate. (Which equaled half the school day in total.)
College was awesome. Eventually. It started off pretty rough. Although I had some more really good times living in the dorm, I now realize (eight years later) that having my own private living space was absolutely necessary. At the time I committed that quote to paper (with ink, of course), I was living at my parent's house, going to community college. I blossomed at community college, but I learned, although I didn't realize it, the early college years are not much different from high school. You have slightly more freedom, but you aren't really old enough to do the REALLY fun things.
I have written about some of my favorite college memories, and there are plenty more to be written, so I won't go into that now.
But adulthood - that's not much fun either. At least, right now it isn't.
Friday, January 8, 2010
The great cornbread disaster of 2009 (or how I got my Ph.D. in Cornbread)
As y'all know, life has been a bit hectic for me lately, but I think I had it under control pretty well, all things considered. (Except for the tree never getting put up.)
I made my grocery list the day after I got back from Knoxville, and The Boyfriend and I went off to Publix. That was the smoothest major grocery trip experience ever. I got most everything on my list and the searching was minimal.
A few days later, Christmas Eve, I woke up and got that vegetable soup on to start cooking. I had been looking forward to this all year.
Vegetable soup + cornbread = Perfect Christmas Eve.
About 5:00, I started the cornbread. Batter looked good, finished product looked PERFECT. Around 6:00, I began serving the dinner. I cut into the cornbread and it seemed a little different, but I just chalked it up to maybe putting too many eggs into it. (Cornbread quiche, perhaps?)
I couldn't resist how yummy the cornbread LOOKED, so I snuck a bite. (A cook has to make sure the finished product is edible.)
And it's a good thing I did.
I warned my guests that it didn't taste bad, it just didn't taste. Gamma asked if I added salt. No. You only add buttermilk, eggs, and hot oil. The Boyfriend insisted it was because I did not use a cast iron skillet. (Oops! I left them in Auburn.) No. The skillet would not affect the taste that much. And then Granny asked the million dollar question.
"Did you use plain cornmeal?"
"Duh! I just wanted plain cornbread."
"You didn't buy self rising?"
Turns out, Publix played a nasty trick on us young Southerners this Christmas. Their cornbread shelves were full, but they were mostly full of plain cornmeal.
I thought I was a cornbread expert, since I know how to make it perfectly and without a recipe and measuring tools. Turns out, I had one more lesson to learn.
I'd leave y'all with a recipe, but the thing is, there is no recipe. My only secret is, if you are following the direction on the White Lily bag, add an extra egg. It makes a world of difference. (P.S. If you don't have an iron skillet to pre-heat with oil in the oven, heat up some oil in a skillet on the stove, then add to the mixture before baking. It adds a little crisp you wouldn't get with a plain old pan.)
I made my grocery list the day after I got back from Knoxville, and The Boyfriend and I went off to Publix. That was the smoothest major grocery trip experience ever. I got most everything on my list and the searching was minimal.
A few days later, Christmas Eve, I woke up and got that vegetable soup on to start cooking. I had been looking forward to this all year.
Vegetable soup + cornbread = Perfect Christmas Eve.
About 5:00, I started the cornbread. Batter looked good, finished product looked PERFECT. Around 6:00, I began serving the dinner. I cut into the cornbread and it seemed a little different, but I just chalked it up to maybe putting too many eggs into it. (Cornbread quiche, perhaps?)
I couldn't resist how yummy the cornbread LOOKED, so I snuck a bite. (A cook has to make sure the finished product is edible.)
And it's a good thing I did.
I warned my guests that it didn't taste bad, it just didn't taste. Gamma asked if I added salt. No. You only add buttermilk, eggs, and hot oil. The Boyfriend insisted it was because I did not use a cast iron skillet. (Oops! I left them in Auburn.) No. The skillet would not affect the taste that much. And then Granny asked the million dollar question.
"Did you use plain cornmeal?"
"Duh! I just wanted plain cornbread."
"You didn't buy self rising?"
Turns out, Publix played a nasty trick on us young Southerners this Christmas. Their cornbread shelves were full, but they were mostly full of plain cornmeal.
I thought I was a cornbread expert, since I know how to make it perfectly and without a recipe and measuring tools. Turns out, I had one more lesson to learn.
I'd leave y'all with a recipe, but the thing is, there is no recipe. My only secret is, if you are following the direction on the White Lily bag, add an extra egg. It makes a world of difference. (P.S. If you don't have an iron skillet to pre-heat with oil in the oven, heat up some oil in a skillet on the stove, then add to the mixture before baking. It adds a little crisp you wouldn't get with a plain old pan.)
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Here, there, everywhere
I feel like I have been all over the Southeast this December.
I started the month in Birmingham, doing HIV testing. I love my volunteer life. It started with personal health workshops, and when I quit being a graduate student, I got trained to do HIV testing so that I could stay involved with the 1917 Clinic. I totally understand people not wanting to do this, and every time I do a test, I am anxious about the result, but everything has always worked out well. What has been really difficult for me is the counseling I do while the test is developing. I have to get down and dirty with the questions I ask people and it sometimes really makes the people think about the choices they make. My heart goes out for those people. I also have to make the people I am testing feel comfortable enough with me to open up. I honestly do not care what they do in their personal lives, and I forget most of what I am told, but I have to know their histories so I can effectively tell them about how to continue to protect themselves. It also helps me to know when I am doing a good job (or a bad one) so that I can be more conscientous of my counselling approach. (Just a bit of advice to those on the other side of the test: be honest and give feedback about the administrator's approach. It helps us do our jobs better.)
Then, I was off to Auburn to check on the condo. Things were well. I had a little shindig with a couple of my neighbors and I got back in touch with my old resident manager. Good times :)
Then, back to Birmingham to go to the Led Zeppelin symphony. More good times.
Then, off to Knoxville. What a trip! First, it ended up taking me 9 hours to get there. Clearly, a long story. I don't care to go into that now, so all I will say is I learned my lesson: don't fly to Knoxville via Atlanta. If I ever fly there again, I will go through Memphis. I spent a week in Knoxville, babysitting, being an extra set of hands, and reading my Emily Post biography.
Back to Birmingham for Christmas. I was very blessed this year. The tree never made it up, but that's okay. I made some awesome vegetable soup and some terrible cornbread (which really threatened my Southern-ness).
The day after Christmas, I went to Chelsea to visit my Uncle. And two days later, I went out to Hueytown to drop off some donations to T.E.A.R.S., which is an animal rescue place that was out of money and food for the animals. It got me started thinking about getting a dog again, which I believe is a really good idea, especially if I am going to be single in Birmingham a lot more than I originally planned. My cats are too sweet and skittish to protect me, and Feffer is just getting to old to be my attack rabbit anymore ;)
I made a gi-normous donation to Bread and Roses today, and I plan on making even more donations soon. I have years of things that never made it to the front porch for Hannah Home donations.
I have also been working on cleaning out the townhome so that I can do some more entertaining in the coming year. And I've been making my new year organizational lists and goals.
Hopefully, I'll have it together much better this year than in the past few months. (I'm thinking I took on too much at once. I have to remember I'm not 22 anymore. Not that I feel it.)
I started the month in Birmingham, doing HIV testing. I love my volunteer life. It started with personal health workshops, and when I quit being a graduate student, I got trained to do HIV testing so that I could stay involved with the 1917 Clinic. I totally understand people not wanting to do this, and every time I do a test, I am anxious about the result, but everything has always worked out well. What has been really difficult for me is the counseling I do while the test is developing. I have to get down and dirty with the questions I ask people and it sometimes really makes the people think about the choices they make. My heart goes out for those people. I also have to make the people I am testing feel comfortable enough with me to open up. I honestly do not care what they do in their personal lives, and I forget most of what I am told, but I have to know their histories so I can effectively tell them about how to continue to protect themselves. It also helps me to know when I am doing a good job (or a bad one) so that I can be more conscientous of my counselling approach. (Just a bit of advice to those on the other side of the test: be honest and give feedback about the administrator's approach. It helps us do our jobs better.)
Then, I was off to Auburn to check on the condo. Things were well. I had a little shindig with a couple of my neighbors and I got back in touch with my old resident manager. Good times :)
Then, back to Birmingham to go to the Led Zeppelin symphony. More good times.
Then, off to Knoxville. What a trip! First, it ended up taking me 9 hours to get there. Clearly, a long story. I don't care to go into that now, so all I will say is I learned my lesson: don't fly to Knoxville via Atlanta. If I ever fly there again, I will go through Memphis. I spent a week in Knoxville, babysitting, being an extra set of hands, and reading my Emily Post biography.
Back to Birmingham for Christmas. I was very blessed this year. The tree never made it up, but that's okay. I made some awesome vegetable soup and some terrible cornbread (which really threatened my Southern-ness).
The day after Christmas, I went to Chelsea to visit my Uncle. And two days later, I went out to Hueytown to drop off some donations to T.E.A.R.S., which is an animal rescue place that was out of money and food for the animals. It got me started thinking about getting a dog again, which I believe is a really good idea, especially if I am going to be single in Birmingham a lot more than I originally planned. My cats are too sweet and skittish to protect me, and Feffer is just getting to old to be my attack rabbit anymore ;)
I made a gi-normous donation to Bread and Roses today, and I plan on making even more donations soon. I have years of things that never made it to the front porch for Hannah Home donations.
I have also been working on cleaning out the townhome so that I can do some more entertaining in the coming year. And I've been making my new year organizational lists and goals.
Hopefully, I'll have it together much better this year than in the past few months. (I'm thinking I took on too much at once. I have to remember I'm not 22 anymore. Not that I feel it.)
Friday, December 4, 2009
Take the money and RUN
So, on Monday, November 30, I got a new car. Apparently, the last day of the month is THE day to buy a new car. The dealership offered me WAY more than anyone had on my car and I took it! And they even knew the car was broken! I am now a proud owner of a brand new Acura RDX. (Well, the Honda bank is actually the owner, I'm just the proud driver.)
I'm going to Knoxville December 13 and staying until further notice.
I fired Charter cable in Auburn. They kept calling me about paying my bill. The thing that got me mad was when I signed up for it, the only way they allowed me to pay my bill was by giving them a credit card number to bill monthly. If they want my bill paid on time, they need to charge my card in time. Duh! So, I fired them because I have gone without 90210 and reliable internet since September. And I keep getting phone calls for not one, but at least two, people who used to have my phone number and that was a ridiculous headache in and of itself. Oh! And when Charter calls you about paying the bill, they actually have a message when you pick up your phone telling you to call them. So, when I called them, they didn't recognize ANY of my phone numbers and I didn't have any account numbers since, I bet you can guess, they don't send me bills very regularly.
It's supposed to snow tonight. I must decide whether to buckle down and go to Auburn today or enjoy the snow in Birmingham. Decisions, decisions.
I also have to pay my taxes. The joys of being self-emplyed and having TONS of medical bills, and a crappy car, and a stupid cable service, and the list can go on forever about all the incompetent people I have dealt with in the past few months. Let's not forget the insurance company who charges an arm and a leg and doesn't cover anything. They're going to get fired as soon as I can get in touch with someone.
The decorations are still NOT up. Yet. If I stay in Birmingham this weekend, they will be. I hope.
I'm going to Knoxville December 13 and staying until further notice.
I fired Charter cable in Auburn. They kept calling me about paying my bill. The thing that got me mad was when I signed up for it, the only way they allowed me to pay my bill was by giving them a credit card number to bill monthly. If they want my bill paid on time, they need to charge my card in time. Duh! So, I fired them because I have gone without 90210 and reliable internet since September. And I keep getting phone calls for not one, but at least two, people who used to have my phone number and that was a ridiculous headache in and of itself. Oh! And when Charter calls you about paying the bill, they actually have a message when you pick up your phone telling you to call them. So, when I called them, they didn't recognize ANY of my phone numbers and I didn't have any account numbers since, I bet you can guess, they don't send me bills very regularly.
It's supposed to snow tonight. I must decide whether to buckle down and go to Auburn today or enjoy the snow in Birmingham. Decisions, decisions.
I also have to pay my taxes. The joys of being self-emplyed and having TONS of medical bills, and a crappy car, and a stupid cable service, and the list can go on forever about all the incompetent people I have dealt with in the past few months. Let's not forget the insurance company who charges an arm and a leg and doesn't cover anything. They're going to get fired as soon as I can get in touch with someone.
The decorations are still NOT up. Yet. If I stay in Birmingham this weekend, they will be. I hope.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
I've got the "I Wants"
A husband: From a feminist standpoint, I don't need a husband, it's just that I'm good at traditional wife-y things and I like the company. And I've decided that it's time to get married when I boo-hoo through the Kardashian Wedding that plays a lot on E!. As I told my cousin yesterday, they're good to have around when I have multiple crises going on at the same time so I can delegate to him.
A baby: 'Cause babies make the world right. You can't be upset around a baby because they will sense that and scream until you calm down. And they're just so sweet, it takes a lot to get upset when a baby is around.
Decent health insurance: It's not right when the amount of money I spent on my healthcare this year has totaled what I could comfortably live on for a year. Granted, I've been sick. But, really?!? My accountant gasped when I told her the number (and she's pretty stoic about that kind of stuff).
A new car: 'Cause Ava ain't cuttin' it anymore. Acura RDX in that white color, please and thank you.
A BlackBerry: I am turning into a tech junkie. And I am learning how easy it will be to stay connected as I go out and accomplish things. (Hopefully.)
My boutique to get going: I've gotta keep Roxy's memory alive in a way that doesn't make me sad. And I need something to do that's creative and challenging. If I don't have a husband or a baby, all I have is myself to wake up for, and that's getting old.
Vera Bradley, "Hope Garden": It's pretty :) Send me your email and I'll send you my wish list.
Sanity: With all that I've been through, it's amazing I've still got some in me. Sometimes, though, I think I'm running on empty. Of course, maybe I don't and I'm just crazy enough to fake it. That sounds like a better explanation.
I'm whiling my time waiting for this wish list to be filled, thinking about drinking a good ol' vodka tonic, Mackey Style. (That's a whole 'nother post.)
Vodka Tonic (Mackey Style)
You need:
16 oz. cup (preferably clear plastic)
Ice
Vodka
Tonic Water
Lime juice
Limes (sliced, duh!)
Directions:
Fill cup with ice
Pour a single shot of vodka
Fill with tonic
Add lots of lime juice and lots of lime slices, to taste, of course
A baby: 'Cause babies make the world right. You can't be upset around a baby because they will sense that and scream until you calm down. And they're just so sweet, it takes a lot to get upset when a baby is around.
Decent health insurance: It's not right when the amount of money I spent on my healthcare this year has totaled what I could comfortably live on for a year. Granted, I've been sick. But, really?!? My accountant gasped when I told her the number (and she's pretty stoic about that kind of stuff).
A new car: 'Cause Ava ain't cuttin' it anymore. Acura RDX in that white color, please and thank you.
A BlackBerry: I am turning into a tech junkie. And I am learning how easy it will be to stay connected as I go out and accomplish things. (Hopefully.)
My boutique to get going: I've gotta keep Roxy's memory alive in a way that doesn't make me sad. And I need something to do that's creative and challenging. If I don't have a husband or a baby, all I have is myself to wake up for, and that's getting old.
Vera Bradley, "Hope Garden": It's pretty :) Send me your email and I'll send you my wish list.
Sanity: With all that I've been through, it's amazing I've still got some in me. Sometimes, though, I think I'm running on empty. Of course, maybe I don't and I'm just crazy enough to fake it. That sounds like a better explanation.
I'm whiling my time waiting for this wish list to be filled, thinking about drinking a good ol' vodka tonic, Mackey Style. (That's a whole 'nother post.)
Vodka Tonic (Mackey Style)
You need:
16 oz. cup (preferably clear plastic)
Ice
Vodka
Tonic Water
Lime juice
Limes (sliced, duh!)
Directions:
Fill cup with ice
Pour a single shot of vodka
Fill with tonic
Add lots of lime juice and lots of lime slices, to taste, of course
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I didn't know I had it in me
I just found out the Auburn/Alabama game will be on the Friday after Thanksgiving, as opposed to the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
This throws a huge wrench in my holiday plans, as Thanksgiving officially kicks off the holiday season for me. (Well, that and the fact that my car is in the shop. Again. Second time in three weeks. Can the new year come soon enough so I can go ahead and get this?)
As I have already said, the Christmas shopping is done. I have made my housecleaning schedule. I have tentatively scheduled a party for Thanksgiving night, as I did last year.
Now, if the rumor proves to be true that my family will be celebrating Thanksgiving at my uncle's house, it would be convenient for me to leave from his house on Thanksgiving day to go to Auburn to get ready for THE game the next day.
But you know what would be more convenient? To move Thanksgiving to Wednesday.
To think I want to move a holiday to make it convenient for my football schedule. Apparently, I have more Southern in me than I was beginning to think.
From now on, if the Auburn/Alabama game MUST be played after Thanksgiving, I propose it be played in Tuscaloosera the Friday after Thanksgiving and in Auburn the Saturday after Thanksgiving. You know, since it works out better for me ;)
This throws a huge wrench in my holiday plans, as Thanksgiving officially kicks off the holiday season for me. (Well, that and the fact that my car is in the shop. Again. Second time in three weeks. Can the new year come soon enough so I can go ahead and get this?)
As I have already said, the Christmas shopping is done. I have made my housecleaning schedule. I have tentatively scheduled a party for Thanksgiving night, as I did last year.
Now, if the rumor proves to be true that my family will be celebrating Thanksgiving at my uncle's house, it would be convenient for me to leave from his house on Thanksgiving day to go to Auburn to get ready for THE game the next day.
But you know what would be more convenient? To move Thanksgiving to Wednesday.
To think I want to move a holiday to make it convenient for my football schedule. Apparently, I have more Southern in me than I was beginning to think.
From now on, if the Auburn/Alabama game MUST be played after Thanksgiving, I propose it be played in Tuscaloos
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