Another day, another dollar...

Some days that's what work feels like anyway. I think the Mondays after vacations/holidays are some of the worst days out there.

It wasn't a particularly bad day in actuality, but it was one of those catch up days. You know the kind, you cut some corners just to finish everything in time to not be bugged too much during your vacation so now you have some crumbs to sweep up. But I guess the good news is I'm going to Miami for work tomorrow, and I've never been there so that should be fun :)

Otherwise, today I ran a lot of errands. Picked up my comforter and pillow cases from the dry cleaners (note- I won't ever buy another dry clean only comforter, its so expensive to clean!). Went grocery shopping, went to my ALC appointment and was introduced to a new tool I didn't know existed- a high-powered cool blower to counter act the hot snap of the laser. Packed for Miami, cleaned my apartment a little bit. I also tried to sneakily snag another key fob for my apartment complex; however my plan was scumped when they deactivated the other one I had claimed to lose and still charge me the $25 for replacing it- fail. Oh well, you live you learn, I guess my complex deserves more credit for the job they do keeping bad guys out of the complex.

Happy monday all :)

Great Thanksgiving :)

I had the best time this past few days while I was home. I got so caught up with my move and furnishing my new apartment here in HOTlanta that I didn't even slow down to miss home yet.

I know I've written posts before about feeling guilty about not being home, but I finally felt that little twinge of sadness when I was packing my stuff up today to fly back here that I was kind of sad to be leaving. Now the truth of the matter is that a majority of people that I had such a great time with were also parting their separate ways so it wouldn't be the same even if I was still there, but I am finally starting to feel the affects of the move. Which is good I think because I didn't want to be in this cloud of aloofness forever.

Anyway, it really was an absolutely great weekend. I saw so many great friends and spent lots of time with my family and I wouldn't have changed a thing- except leaving, but I had to so I couldn't really change that part :)

In three weeks I get to go back home for an even longer break for the christmas and new year holiday and I am really excited! There are some very close friends that I was not able to see this trip home, but I will have my car home with me (thank god) since I'm driving home and I will get to see hopefully everyone in a few weeks!!!

There's also a situation back home that I need to come to some clarity on. It's romantically related, and I know its really stupid to hang on to something that is back home when I should focus on the new possibilities here. But I can't help but think about what could be with this particular person if we had had a moment or two to ourselves this trip home which makes me hope for that opportunity in a few weeks :/ Dangerous territory and what can I say I am the girl that always wants what she can't have- but who ever knows what the future will bring :)

Yeast free is the way to be???

Well, at least for a little while.

Due to extenuating medical conditions that just won't go away, I am giving the yeast-free diet a shot. It won't be that difficult since I've already been gluten free for 5 years, but I am having a really hard time with the no cheese, booze and temporarily fruit thing. I'm also not crazy about the killer non-caffine induced and/or possible glutening accident headache/migraine I have had all day. But I am told this too shall pass so I really hope this helps my issues

If any of you have any suggestions or good yeast-free recipes please send them my way!

The weirdest thing happened to me today

I had received a $5 coupon for Publix as a new resident and I wanted to use before it expired. Well, conveniently, I needed to go food shopping today so it made sense to go there so I could reach my tiny goals at the same time ;)

I found all of my food that I wanted to get, and then some and I proceeded to the check-out aisle. Everything went normally until I went to leave, and the sweet little woman that was bagging my groceries walked my cart out for me. But she didn't stop at the main entrance doors, she came all the way out to my car. And if that wasn't enough, actually unloaded the grocery bags into my trunk for me! Now, I at everyone of these points I pleaded with her and said I didn't need her to do that for me, but she insisted.

I was so caught off guard, was I supposed to tip her? I didn't know, but all I had was a $20 and though I was a service provider for many years and consider myself a very generous tipper, I didn't request this service so I thought that was a bit much for her kindness. But she didn't expect anything either and went on her merry way after unloading all of my stuff. Luckily, my friend confirmed that at Publix you are not to supposed to tip the employees that assist with unloading your bags, so I felt at peace with my earlier decision.

But it was so weird for me, I just wasn't expecting it, and I absolutely hate getting special treatment or even help when I don't ask for it (because I'm not very good at actually asking for it even if I do need it). So anyway, thats really all of the excitement for today sadly enough lol but yea another nuance of Atlanta that is very different from the mitten.

Evidently I'm not a Texas country fan afterall...

So one my new friends down here is through one of my college friends, who is originally from Texas as is he. Therefore, they are obsessed with Texas country. I'm really not any kind of country fan and at the very least you could put me in the "I tolerate pop/country music" so true country fans would likely shun my taste in "fake" country music.

Anyway, I had the chance to go to a Texas country concert and though I told my friend that I really wasn't a country fan, he asked if I liked boozin' and live music- and indeed I do. So on we went to the Cory Morrow concert.

Yikes.

Well, okay so it really wasn't that bad. But about two songs in even my friend realized this wasn't my scene. I tried really hard though to not show it and still have a fun time. Since I wanted to drive home later, I curbed my boozin' and that probably would have made me seem at least more into the adventure we were having. In truth, I wasn't actually that repulsed by the music which surprised me, but the best part about seeing live music is singing along to the songs, and I couldn't do that because I didn't know any of them.

(the girls and I having fun before the concert)

All in all it really was a fun night, though I could have done without the dueschy military guy that was trying to hump me through dance as we were trying to leave. I did find a new bar that I want to go back to though! It's called Moondogs and it was right by the Peachtree Tavern where the concert was, so I am pretty pumped for that, there was at least 5 different rooms to fit whatever scene you wanted so that was really fun.

So probably no more Texas country in my future, but I'm glad I went outside my comfort zone to try and have a little fun :)

:)

So I got some really, really great news yesterday... I got a promotion at work!!! I can't even begin to explain how excited I am about it and how much it means to me. I know that the company I work for has been through a lot this year, everyone's has in this economy. But to know that the effort I have been putting forth and my passion for what I do, finally met their reward is such an amazing feeling. Even more so knowing that right now we are still on our climb back up.

I know the job I am doing really won't change much, but it is certainly a comfort to know that the job I have been doing and the extra programming I have taken on was finally recognized.

Cheers one for me tonight! Looks like it might not be too hard to turn these peaches into sangria after all :)

Big ol' fat rain

Hopefully anyone reading this recognizes that line from on of my favorite movies, Forest Gump. But I never really understood what he was talking about until I moved down here to Atlanta. The rain is literally more fat here. I know that is a really strange observation, but it is an observation nonetheless :)

Anyway, that big ol' fat rain has been coming down with no stopping planned until later on today. Now say what you will about the weather in "the north", and we may have had rain more frequently than we do down here, but we never have such hard and long rains. It was a surprising day in the spring or fall in Michigan if we didn't get a few droplets here or there, but heavy rain never lasts for more than an hour. So no wonder why it floods here basically every time it rains, copious amounts of water have no where else to go and no time to drain out.

My cracked-out sleepy brain was at it again last night, apparently trying to decipher this big ol' fat rain apparently. I was living in a totally different apartment than I am currently and I think my mom was visiting (which really has no point in adding except that I remember her being there). I had this huge window that looked out into kind of a really pretty wetlands/foresty creek area. And i distinctly remember thinking to myself, in the dream, that wow am I lucky to live here this view couldn't get much better and then I realized if we ever did get heavy rains my place would most definitely flood. So it inevitably did and I remember trying to brace the windows trying to stop the water from coming in, but it would magically drain out of my room as soon as it came in. What another strange dream, and I was hoping I would magically dream up a really great pitch for a story for work-- unless they want to talk about floods and home safety I'm SOL.

Oh well, thats all for today, off to the SMBC!

Weird Dreams

So yesterday I woke up from a really weird dream. I hardly ever remember my dreams so that in itself is a little bit weird but this dream in particular was really strange and realistic.

Basically, it was that after getting all settled here and wanting to stay in Atlanta and surprising myself by how much I actually enjoy living here, I was going to get relocated again to Boston. Now this could never logistically happen because my company doesn't have an office there, but it was just really really weird. And Boston was actually one of those cities that always had wanted to live, Atlanta was not. And one of my closest friends just moved there as well, so you think I would be really excited for that. But I was not, I was actually really sad about leaving Atlanta which is crazy because I haven't even lived here for two weeks yet so its crazy that I feel so attached already, but I really do. Plus, I'm obsessed with my huge apartment and there is no way I can afford something like this in Boston-- which was quite evident in my dream since I seemed to be living in some attic-like studio...

Anyway, this is probably really not exciting for you all to read, but it was just so strange. I think it was my subconscious trying to tell me it was okay for me to like living here since I've been feeling a bit guilty about not missing being at home.

Also, before that dream I had one that I pierced my nipple-- if thats not weird I don't know what is, I definitely don't subscribe to that sort of body art so my brain must be on crack right now.

Thats all for today :)

Halloween!

So I promised some pics from my holiday festivities :) Here they are!

(This is later on the evening, but still before we left for the party--- so you can imagine our state by then :))

Looking super cute at the beginning of the night! I'm "The Dairy Queen" on the left side of the pic and that's my friend/awesome neighbor Jill on the right.

We had a blast that night. Predrinking at Leo and Jills (neighbors/bffs) and then more pre-drinking/partying at Leo's friend's house in midtown then to the actual party we had tickets for in Midtown. It was awesome, the bar blocked off the street next to it and basically locked it down for a huge party-- good times. Things almost got a little messy in the end-- but fear not my Spartan in me and I miraculously powered through. Leo had a nice and repetitive convo with our cab driver from West Africa? Wait... Where are you from again East Africa? Probably had to be there to find that humorous-- sorry new blogger friends :(

In other news, I have an amazing family and friends. I came home from my first official day of work at my new job here in Atlanta to two wonderful packages! Here is what they were!

On the right is a personalized cookbook from my family--my sister's idea. It has our family's favorite recipes and pictures of us eating them to go with them, it is such an adorable and sweet gift!

On the right in the back is a beautiful and very gluten free gift basket from my bff's Becky and Evan in Chicago! It's got some of my favorites from Trader Joe's-- where Evan works :) And last but not least because I am still super impressed with this gift, is the beautiful wall clock on the right in the front! Becky hand made it and it will match perfectly with my bedding, I can't wait to hand it up!

Thanks to my family and Becky and Evan for these wonderful gifts-- I know you wanted them to get here earlier, but the timing couldn't have been better and I am so lucky to have you in my life!

Cheers friends :)

Thanks for my stuff.... finally!

So the movers finally brought my stuff! I can't believe they went past the week-long window I was given to have it delivered-not cool.

But its neither here nor there now because its all here now :)

I am bummed out though still because I had my mom come out with me this entire week in anticipation for my stuff getting here and having someone to help me unpack everything. And because the lovely moving people took their sweetass time getting here I ended up having to drop her off at the airport two hours after they finished delivering everything. So its just me and my boxes now.

I am looking forward to unpacking it all though and getting myself organized, it already looks homier now that a few things are in place.

Its funny to think back to a month and a half ago when I was so upset to be moving and in tears for about 2 days straight thinking about coming to this unknown place. Now, I couldn't be happier to be here! I think its just what my life needed and I am so excited to be out here on my own and able to spread my wings a bit :)

Well, I better get to that unpacking, evidently boxes don't unpack themselves even when they know you have a wicked hangover from a great Halloween! (I'll post pictures soon)