mynameismelvis

Amused.

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:22:05 GMT

For the record, I am not engaged, I am not pregnant and I do not intend to be pregnant in the next 6-12 months.

People have been asking all the time about these things. I find it amusing mostly but I don't quite understand where its coming from. Yes, I am very much in love and very happy in my relationship but we are not quite getting a nursery ready.

In other news, my job is fun, the house is coming together. Garrett found us an AWESOME bookcase and painted it and it looks great. We have been finding all kinds of perfect items at thrift stores and garage sales that just need a little tiny bit of work to be absolutely perfect. Garrett has been beyond fabulous with doing all the work on those.

I think I am going to experiment with making jam.

Home office.

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:12:59 GMT

I am trying to decide what to do about my office area. Right now, its pretty much the only room in the house that has white walls. I am getting excited to start planning what to do with the space but have no idea where to start. I don't really have much for it so I can start from scratch since there is no real furniture to go in it yet. I am trying to think of colors. The rest of the house has very nice, calming colors, sage greens, blues, browns, whatnot. I want that space to be similar in feel yet different because it will be my own little space.

Also, I have the sliding glass door in there and will need a big curtain type of thing to block that at night so the whole world can't see in and there will eventually be lots of plants in there, too.

I am trying to find three or so colors that I like together. I was thinking something with greens...
I need some inspiration and really I am open to anything so far. We already have a lot of brown in the house though so I am hoping to stay away from that even though I love it and my instincts are like GREEN AND BROWN!

Here are a few of my ideas of colors, some are only two colors though and I would need one more that looks good. I don't like anything too wild and bright. I am more of an earth tone person but with just a little bit of a bright streak in me (but not much) but I want to work something brighter in there but still in my comfort zone.

post pictures of your favorite color combinations!

uh!

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:28:04 GMT

Oh man, Magic Johnson and The New Kids On The Block are going to be at the MOA today!

I usually don't get too worked up on who is going to be there but I did see Hulk and Brooke Hogan there, hilarious by the way, but New Kids! That is my childhood dream, just to catch a glimpse. Ill pass on it, but I have to admit, its a little tempting to just go and see if I see anything.

Minneapolis

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:13:23 GMT

We got here Friday. We were and still are pretty exhausted. The trip took longer than we originally thought because we went slower pulling the trailer. G started his new job today. He is going to rock at it, of course! I am still waiting to hear from the place that I want to work. Unfortunately, if I don't hear from them, I have to look elsewhere which sort of sucks. I want to work there but I can't afford to wait around. I have already been without a paycheck for two months and if I don't get money coming in soon it will NOT be pretty. Cross your fingers that they call me. If I don't get a call today, tomorrow I am sending out resumes to everywhere I see.

The house is FANTASTIC!!! The neighborhood is great and everything about it is awesome so far. We have raspberry bushes in back, a little apple tree and there will be kiwi bearing fruit in the next couple of years. The dogs still have a yard (makes the biggest difference in the world) and we really don't have *too* much more to put way. We have a bunch of bins and boxes to sort and put away but I don't think it will take too long.

I am excited to have friends bring their dogs over (if they get along with other dogs and don't hate small dogs) and to get everything in order.

My parents came into town this weekend and were amazing and wonderful and I don't know what I did to deserve them but they helped us out in ways that I will always be thankful for. Thanks to them we can now function. KItchen stuff (plates, silverware, pots and pans) and bathroom stuff and more. I was not expecting it and I love them.

We need to get a kitchen table and chairs still and some bookshelves but I think that after that its mostly little stuff. Except stuff for our offices. We need desks and things but I think that we will come across something great.

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:29:43 GMT

I always look at the questions on the LJ homepage and think about answering them and this time I have decided to go ahead and do it. I don't remember the first album I ever owned because I had a billion cassettes and I remember always asking for Mariah Carey and the Beach Boys tapes. When I was in 7th grade I got my first stereo/boom box that had a CD player in it. That Christmas I also got my first two CD's. It was The Beatles 'Abby Road' and Simon and Garfunkels Greatest Hits. I was OBSESSED with Abby Road. I listened to the CD non-stop, wore the t-shirt and had the poster. I still listen to those and they are perhaps a couple of my favorites to this day. Of course some of my taste has changed but a lot of it actually hasn't.

TWITTER ON THE SHITTER!!!

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:58:05 GMT

yard.

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:24:42 GMT

Here is a sample.

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:51:51 GMT

We went swimming twice this weekend! Once in a lake and once in a pool. I love to swim, I have always loved to swim and I really hadn't swam in ages until this summer. I swam in the ocean for the first time and it was amazing. Walking over the hill to the ocean was possibly in my top three of most beautiful things I have ever seen. I couldn't take my eyes off of it, I couldn't stop thinking about all the things going on in that water at those exact moments. It's the coolest thing in the world to me to be inside of something that at points goes so deep we have no idea what even happens there. There are creatures that are huge, bigger than I can even wrap my head around. I don't know what happens or where we go when we die but I do know this, if heaven exists, I imagine arriving at the big pearly gates, I get the ok to go ahead and come on in and I walk across some clouds and end up right back on that path that we walked down to get to the beach, come over the hill, hear the waves crashing and knowing that this is it, this is what its all about.. I would hope I could look down the beach and see all my friends who I have missed through the years. I don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about what might go on after death, I have too much living I would like to do first but I do know that the other day, looking out at the water...I felt totally at peace. I could sit there all day.

I have been getting oddly anxious the past two days. I don't know what is causing it but my whole chest closes up and I have to try really hard to get a deep breath.

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:14:09 GMT

There are some crazy bugs here and some cool looking spiders. The one is like some odd creature, it doesnt look like a spider to me but I don't know what else it could possibly be! Also, there are HUGE ass dragon flies. I got some pictures of a few of them but there are a lot of really pretty butterflies and other things that we don't have way up north.

photobooth

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:59:56 GMT

moving again!

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:46:46 GMT

Well, G found a job in Minneapolis, we found a place to live and will be moving back to MN in August. My dear dear friends are buying a new house and we are going to rent out the house they currently live in. Its a really really cute house. It has a great yard with three apple trees, tons of space inside and everything is really cute and I love all the colors and hardwood floors. It worked out really really well! I am SO SO SO happy to be able to continue to have a yard for the pups. We will be in a different side of town than I have lived in for gosh, 6-7 years but I am excited to explore it and find fun things in my new neighborhood (its really close to the farmers market, yay!). I think I will regain my full appreciation for Minneapolis going back there with Garrett. There are so many things that I know he will love and I can't wait to share with him. I think he will love it and I know that I will love being there with him.

Its been kind of a crazy few months and it will probably be a little crazy for the next couple of months but its been an adventure for sure and I wouldn't change it. Its going to be great to get somewhere that we know we are staying for at least a year. I think we will both be able to relax. Also, as an added bonus, since I got rid of pretty much all my stuff and he is going to be getting rid of a lot too, we get to pick out new stuff! I love that. I love every time I move to a new place picking out new shower curtains and rugs. My plates and all of that always stayed pretty much the same but this time we are picking out new stuff since mine is all gone. Its going to be nice to start fresh. It already is.

Can I say how much I love the stuff at Target that is the 'tissue material' its so soft and light! I got two new skirts, one black one brown, and I could live in them.

I finally was able to upload some pictures so I am going to cram a bunch behind this cut that I have been missing.

Flowers I recieved at the airport <3

Norma--pure bliss in Florida

This is how Murphy spends most of his time, on the hunt. Yum! Lizards!

Cute house we are renting!

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:47:26 GMT

My old rental company is trying to charge me 1500 bucks for damages and stuff. I find this INSANE. $300 to repaint? $300 for additional cleaning? They always repaint anyway!

I dont want to pay it but I dont want it to come bite me in the ass either. This company is pretty well known (found this out AFTER i started renting from them) for being really shady and really crappy.

oh! AND they wrote the letter on the 9th, did not send it out until the 19th according to the stamp and then I did not recieve it until the 25th. They sent it to my old address because they did not get my forwarding address from me.

STOLEN

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:42:58 GMT

I stole this.

Reply to this post, and I will write one thing I love about you. Maybe more than one. Then (if you want) repost to your own journal and spread the love.

Delaware

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:30:39 GMT

Do you know anyone from Delaware? It has occured to me that never, in my 27 long years of life, have I met anyone from Delaware.

Now, for a clip from one of my all time favorite movies.

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:48:03 GMT

I have been thinking a lot lately about a couple of things.. I am deciding first if I want to do this here or on the ol' WWW somwhere or just in my regular paper journal. I want to give myself writing assignments. I want things where I can give more than a one word answer. Part of me thinks that I should do it here or elsewhere on the net the other part of me wonders why I would think anyone would really care what I think anyway or about any of my experiences as a human being on this planet but the other part of me is kind of craving that sort of connection to be like, yes! someone else! I use to feel that more often than I do now. I have read things and it just excites me, it makes me wish I knew that person so we could talk about it. I remember when I got the book of Doris and I was just so excited and I didn't want to read it too fast because I never wanted it to end. It inspired me and made me look at the world in a whole new way while I was reading it. I have never really been one to spill everything in any kind of public area, just the basics and a few details but I feel like if its something I could do in a more general way I could get it all out and write the way I use to, I filled paper journals up all the time and it was glorious!

Have I mentioned that I love my life right now?

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:26:26 GMT

I have been in a weird state of mind the past week or so. My social energy has been at an all time low the past couple of days but feeling better about that today after a lot of sleep.

I am not even going to get into what a pain in the ass getting to Iowa was. I was in transit from 10am allll day until almost 2am when I arrived at my parents house. It was weird being back... seeing my dad like that and really dealing with all that was going on. I feel less panicked about everything though which is a huge relief. Things seem to be going pretty well considering, now we just have to see how he reacts to radiation and chemo and go from there.

I got back into Jacksonville and G surprised me at the airport with flowers! I have a picture, but no cord for my camera so I can't upload anything! Rats! I was not even expecting him to be at the airport yet and was thisclose to passing by him being in the 'need to get to baggage claim now' zone. Anyway, they are on the kitchen table now and I had forgotten what fresh flowers can do to a room. Everything feels better when I look over and see them. It was really sweet and I have the worlds best boyfriend. He has been an amazing support and generally fabulous.

I need to find a job. Someone needs to hire me! I did get a call back today but its for a contract position. It would only be for 20 days but at least thats some kind of income! I just need to figure out where this place is located, Jacksonville is HUGE! By the way, I had no idea how big it really was, when something is 'right around the corner' that could mean 15 minutes away or more. If its somewhere far away and is going to take me half an hour to get to, eh, not ideal. We will see!

Thank you

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:15:14 GMT

Thanks to everyone that responded to my last post. I really appreciate it.

They did surgery yesterday and the tumor is malignant. They think they got it all but now have to make sure and see if its anywhere else. We will find out more today.

I am in the Jacksonville airport right now. I am going to Iowa today to be with my dad for a few days. I think its really important that I am there. I am fortunate enough to have someone in my life that is amazing and wonderful and I am eternally grateful for that. I have the best boyfriend in the entire universe.

Again, thank you to everyone and all my wonderful friends who have been awesome.

dad

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:01:40 GMT

If you know me, you probably know about my relationship with my dad. I adore him. We are close and are very similar. All of my sense of humor and they way I interact with humans pretty much comes from him. My dad calls me on his way home from work when he hears a song that makes him think of me, we have ongoing inside jokes that are always funny to us, he is my rock, he can fix anything that is wrong in my life or at least he tries and is generally successful. He puts things into perspective and I am so grateful that I get to have that.

My sister called me first thing this morning...my dad was admitted to the hospital late last night. He was acting really strange and couldn't complete sentences or even write his name. To make a long long long story short, they took him to the hospital thinking he was maybe having a stroke. Turns out he has a brain tumor...

He is going into surgery in a couple of hours and I am really really scared. My dad is young, takes great care of himself and is never ever sick. I really can't believe how fast that can happen. I keep crying when I think about it but at the same time don't even believe that is really what is happening right now. He is in Iowa and if anything takes a turn or anything I need to take the first flight there.

We will find out more details once everything is done. They can't tell a whole lot yet, just that its about the size of a golf ball and is the area of his brain that deals with memory and cognitive thinking.

I am trying not to stress out or get too much more upset until we find out what the next step is but its really really hard.

I am seriously terrified.

Please, if you would be so kind, think good thoughts for him.

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:24:00 GMT

I ate my first item of fish (besides my couple times a year i eat tuna casserole) for the first time in ages last night. I don't eat fish as a general rule but G made fish tacos last night that were DELICIOUS! Add red snapper to my list of fish I will eat. I am hoping to basically cut red meat out of my diet and eat turkey and chicken and now perhaps fish.

Just in case you didn't know this, Florida is HOT! I don't mind it though. I guess its mostly knowing that AC is really near by at all times helps. Gets the dogs pooped out much faster though! They are in love with the yard and being able to go outside and run their hearts out so often! I am in love with it, too.

I need to update my resume and then the workless holiday I have been living is over! I am a little nervous about having to rely on someone else for transportation though..at least for a while. I am use to being pretty self sufficient and got really spoiled by working less than two blocks from home.

I am not tan by any means, but I have gotten enough color on my face to feel like I don't need to wear makeup on my face. I like that. I can just kind of power the t-zone and things are good to go in the foundation department. In the winter I always feel like I have to wear it because I don't see the sun for months and every single thing on my skin stands out and gets blotchy and ick from the cold. Fascinating, isn't it?

I don't really have anything too interesting to report on but feel like writing anyway.

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:41:29 GMT

Pups got here last night. They were totally crazed for most of the evening. Leaving crappy sleep and a case of the grumps. They have settled down some today but I still want to keep Molly and them separate until they seem back to normal a bit and feel comfortable here once its a little less exciting to arrive in a totally new space and have no idea what the heck is going on. I am hoping it won't take more than a couple more days. Until then we have the baby gate up so that Molly gets her own space and can come closer if she feels like it but is still safe. I just want all the animals to be as comfortable as possible and to merge them with as little stress as possible. I think the dogs are going to LOVE having a yard, they already seem to. A healthy mix of the heat and the running should hopefully calm them down a lot when they are indoors. I love them but they are high energy and sometimes that can be exhausting.

I am almost done putting my stuff away. One suitcase left and that one is mostly shoes so I think it will be a breeze.

We went to Georgia yesterday! I have never been there outside of the Atlanta airport. Check one more state off the list!

Here was a brief moment of peace I tried to capture with my isight camera without disturbing them.

Rested

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:37:04 GMT

My dogs are coming into town tomorrow. I don't even want to get into the mess that was. In a nutshell, we discovered at the last minute that my dogs, although very tiny, are TOO BIG to fit in the kennels that go under the seats in the cabin. Crisis was averted when a great friend stepped up and is watching them and taking them to the airport to drop them off to come here. I miss them a lot but its also been really nice to have a couple days off. Its like, sometimes.. I just want a babysitter. One day where I don't have to monitor anyones bathroom habits. I don't have to worry about anything. It will be amazing for them to get to experience the joys of a backyard on a daily basis. I think its going to be really good for them and I am excited to see if this helps them become more calm since they will get to let out so much energy that bottles up in apartment life. It is also really going to be helpful to have someone else lending me a hand with that. It's a lot to take care of alone every single day. BUT I would not give them up for the world. They are my little loves, I can't help it.

Things in Florida are different, obviously, but it seems that people are friendlier places than they are back home, houses look different, plants in peoples yards are nothing like what they would have in MN and of course, the lizards, they wouldn't last a day in that ice box that is Minnesota. So far I like it, its fun and its fantastic to be with Garrett. We took a couple days off to just be and to just breathe. It's been stressful but I think the worst is over and now we get to just hang out and take it as it comes from here on out.

Ah. I feel at peace. I feel happy and relaxed. I am filled with emotions and that, as it turns out, CAN be a beautiful thing.

Love is grand.

Landed!

Sat, 31 May 2008 22:26:17 GMT

I am officially in Jacksonville!

Hair has faded a lot..in a good way. Now i Like it.

MUST REST! Been up since 3:30 this morning.

Tue, 27 May 2008 15:30:05 GMT

I think I might hate my hair after all. I keep going back and forth and I think if I continue to go back and forth, I must not like it. I woke up today and felt good about it but yesterday I hated it the whole day. I just don't think its me. I think its too much and not hot. I keep thinking that maybe I am just not use to it. I have gotten mixed reviews from other people. Some seem to love it and other people haven't said anything so I think that's a bad sign. Although I have gotten a couple...wow..thats... different! Not good, my friends.

I just hate to spend any more money. I spent an absurd amount already.

UGH!

I hate to be so dramatic over hair, but if you know me, I can't help it!! Its not ruining my day or anything, but I like to not have to think about it so much which is what's bothering me.

Do I call the place and see if they can change something? Do I just suck it up and go with it until its time for a new dye job? Go to Wal-Greens and buy a bottle of something and try to cover it? What do I do?

Storage.

Tue, 27 May 2008 01:13:21 GMT

Angie, Mike and I went through my storage space today. I can not believe how much stuff fit in that thing! Bags upon bags of clothes. I saved only a couple of t shirts and a couple scarves out of all of it. I let the guy who is supposed to pick up my stuff know there is a huge pile of it ready. I have one corner of my living room filled. I also took apart my bed today. The person that wanted it was supposed to come and get it today, but I haven't heard from him. I will give him until morning and then I am putting it back up on Craigslist. I need to get rid of it. Now I have a big king size bed taken apart and up against a wall in my living room. Things are really becoming more bare now. I have a section of clothes and stuff to go through in my room and after that its just a matter of getting rid of the stuff I have to just last me the rest of my time here and packing up the stuff I am taking for sure.

Less than a week from now I will be living in Jacksonville. G is getting things ready for my arrival on that end. My only worry at this point is how well my dogs will behave on the plane. Even if its a total nightmare for some reason at least it will be done and over in a short period of time. In the grand scheme of things anxious dogs for a few hours is not the end of the world. If I can just get them to sleep for most of it we will be golden.

As one good friend put it, I have cheese coming out of my ears. I just can't help being really excited and when I start talking about it I get all googly eyed.

Sat, 24 May 2008 20:14:59 GMT

I just got home from my hair appointment.

I am awesome at sticking to the exact same thing for long periods of time because I really like it and then one day I feel like I am up for a change. I went in and told the guy he could do whatever he wanted and basically, that I wanted to keep some of the length and that everything else was up to him

I have red hair now.

The way he was talking I thought he was just going to add some red to what I usually get. I keep going between loving it and thinking it was the biggest mistake I have made in a while. I can't decide if its too much or just.. not.."me". Everyone who has seen it so far loves it. Maybe I am just not use to it or maybe..it is hideous! Its hard to say at this point.

Its just hair and if I hate it that much I can change it.

Trying to get an accurate picture of the color.