This Cracks Me Up!

I'm watching the movie Home Alone. The first one. A classic Christmas movie. And of course I turned it on right at the best part.... right when the crooks find out he's home alone and plan to come back. I think I have this movie memorized, the video worn out, and I still laugh.

OK so you all know I have been trying to, ok I mean, talking about, getting my book published. The one I wrote when I was 17 and haven't read over in 5 years or so at least. OK maybe 3. So i'm just bored and doing a search online about publishing info, and I come across a publishing contest for first time authors for young adult novels. Exactly what I wrote. Well, I came across this... 3 days ago.

The deadline for the manuscripts to be postmarked.... was today.

Well, should I go for it, or wait til next year. What the hell, I'd pull an all nighter and type the whole book and get it out at the latest possible time.... the final copy of my book is HAND PRINTED hahahaha Harry why the hell you dressed like a chicken? HAHAHAH thats my favorite part

OK so anyway I wasnt looking forward to staying awake for 48 hours staring at my computer screen. When I go look in my documents folder, I found that I had apparently typed it up two or three years ago and the document was somehow still saved in my computer. I looked it over and there appeared to be only the last four pages or so left to be typed, so I finished that up and spent nearly 12 hours yesterday going over the entire thing, editing and editing and editing it again. Then changing names to protect the guilty, then trying to figure out how to write a summary and cover letter.

THEN... trying to figure out how to print it. I don't have a printer... and after calling 3 or 4 printing places last night and this morning to discover that none must be open today since none answered their phone (and one machine even said "we're open when the open sign is on....").

He's gonna call the cops! He's not calling the cops.... from a treehouse?! LOL I remember when I was younger and Mom wouldn't let us watch this movie because Kevin said the word "a**" in that part. LOL Love ya, Mom :)

So I checked out Office Depot's website and saw could upload files from your computer and print there and pick them up.... the only thing was they wouldn't allow an order to go through without putting it on a debit or credit card... they couldn't accept the order with the promise of a cash payment upon pickup....

Then my Daddy calls me last night... said he would come up this morning, figure out a way to get this printed, he would pay for it, and get it shipped. At this time my only option I was looking at is going to the library and printing the 200 pages for .10 apiece. So I called Office Depot and asked if they could print from a flash drive, they said they could and should be done in about 15 minutes if we got there this morning. We were out the door in 5 minutes.

Got it printed with no problems.... two copies, off to the post office... pay for a paddy envelope with delivery confirmation... and we were off for a late breakfast. Postmarked an hour before noon today... when the post office closed.

Nothing like waiting til the last minute!

It's Weird How Things Work Out

So this evening when I was waiting for the bus at Wal Mart I was thinking what was going to happen when our lease is up here or if I chose I no longer wanted to live with my current roommate, etc. (her family is driving me insane)

Then I get on the bus and the person who I helped get into the house in Onalaska that I moved out of in July, he was on the bus, and asked if I was interested in moving back into the house, because he's moving out soon and in with his girlfriend and her kids I guess. Or something like that.

Now I really liked this house. It was a decent place for one person or a couple, it had its flaws (as every place does) and I like it. However, rent was within my price range, if I were working full time it still would be... yet its further from school. I could bus to school but would be walking home quite a few miles had I not be able to find a ride, and I'm not sure I want to live in Onalaska again. I didn't like that the heat vents were in the ceiling (heat rises duh!) so didn't think that was efficient and the heat bill killed me last winter.... to the point I'm still paying it off til the end of NEXT month.

Also had to pay the water bill, which was around $100 for 3 months. Yet I did LOVE having a yard and no neighbors to worry about when I cranked my music... I told him if I got a job in the next month or so I would consider it.

Life in the apartment trailer park isnt that bad right now, but I'm so tired of going back and forth... between the parents house and this place and even now I'm living in the building I lived in before when I lived on my own. Yet in otdays world its near impossible to survive on your own without a decent job with near no jobs anywhere. Yeah, yeah, everyone's telling me to go to McDonalds or Burger King but I don't even think they would hire me right now.

I'd rather just get my book published. Thats what I'm going to work on from now on.

The Coolest Icicle I've Ever Seen!

So we got 3 or 4 more inches of snow yesterday, freezing rain on top of it last night, and it was above freezing and melting today. Took these pics of the coolest icicle ever seen hanging outside our apartment door this evening. It has a fork on the bottom.



Heres a pic of the middle where the ridgly parts are neat:



Heres a pic of the whole thing:



And another pic of the cool parts:



And just for kicks and giggles, here's anothr icicle on the other side of the door, that's more than halfway to the ground:

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Guest Post from 20SB

As I'm sure Holly here has already mentioned, (I haven't) we're taking part in the 20sb Blog Swap. Meaning I get to babble on Here on Her blog and she'll be over on One Red Wall today. So don't forget to head over and check out what she has to say. Now since I ramble on enough in my post, I will refrain from rambling in the intro...


The theme this time is Action. Specifically, something I've been putting off a long time that I need to do next year.


GAWD there are so many things. Getting back in shape, getting back to school, paying old debts, making Friends instead of acting all Lone Wolf, all important things. But the first thing that came to mind when I read that?

I need to start saving money to go Bungee Jumping.

I had decided I'd go in 2010 and I just didn't do enough to make it happen. I put it off to the end of the year when my sister could go with us and the company we planned on using Canceled the whole event. Really, I probably wouldn't have been able to afford it even if they didn't since I hadn't bothered to Save for it. It was like I was sabotaging myself. So I failed. And I'm not doing that again. I Am Going in 2011. I Have to.

I know it sounds ... crazy, but I know it'll change my life. Although I know several people who'd be surprised to find out, the truth is that I am a big Chicken. I just fake it. I don't even love Roller Coasters. Yet every time I'm around a roller coaster I go get on the Biggest Scariest one there First thing. I will have a mini-freak out in my head all the way up the first hill and as I start the first drop. But then we start the next climb.

That's when I get over the fear. That's when I start to love it. As long as I take the biggest and scariest first, I'll love all of the ones that follow it. No gradual buildup for me. It's all or nothing. I do that with more than just roller coasters, but I won't bore you with 100 examples.

I know that when it's time to go on that jump, I'll want to go first. And I'll hate it. All the way down I'll probably hold myself pretty stiff and cuss at myself about Why the Fuck did I want to DIE?? And then I'll bounce. And that's what I want. I know that after the Bounce I'll love it. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'll want to go again. I Know me. I really do love doing risky thrilling things, I just let my doubts and my fear get in the way too often.

And that's how I know that bungee jumping will change my life. It's Crazy for someone who doesn't like roller coasters or that Drop ride thing to Yearn to go bungee jumping, but I do. Almost Everyone I've talked to about it thinks I'm Crazy and half of Them say it's too dangerous for me to do since I have kids. Well guess what? I'm more likely to get broadsided while driving my car than die in a bungee jumping accident. And when I conquer that, I know I'll look at other things differently. Maybe that sounds like a lot to put on a bungee jump, but I know it will change how I look at things. Hell, every new thrilling thing does, so why wouldn't bungee jumping do it too?

Technically, it would be easier for me to go skydiving, since there is a skydiving place Right at the edge of town and you can go any day the weather is nice. Maybe I'll do that next. But for now, I'm going to go on the Other side of town and go bungee jumping (did I mention they have a great bridge to jump off of within minutes from my house?). And if they cancel again, I'll just have to bungee jump somewhere further from home. But I Will do it in 2011.

After I go bungee jumping I still have to continue saving. I have a European or Australian vacation to plan for 2012. I've lived in Europe, but I was never able to go Experience it without Parents or School Agendas or something that made my destination and length of stay Not of my choosing. This time, I want to go and Live Life and just take it all in. I'd love to go solo, but I'm a nice wife, so I'll let Husband go on my vacation too if he wants to. He's pretty well traveled and Tired of it so he may choose to stay home.

Of all the thing I know I need to do in 2011, and all the things I know I Will do in 2011... Going bungee jumping and starting the 2012 vacation fund are what I am going to do For Me. I am an older sister, a mom, and a wife, so I have been putting others in front of me for my whole life.

I have bought so many kids toys, and Husband toys... It's about time I took some action and saved money that is only to be used for something for me.


-Kandace

And the Lesson Learned....

It's been a week tomorrow since I've been off house arrest. But it feels like I still am! Maybe thats what was supposed to happen. Spent 90 days of going only to school and downtown almost every morning that now when I come home from school I get right in my pajamas and sit in front of the computer, just like I did while tethered to my house.

I've been out like three times in a week. Part of thats from watching the kid during the day, and going to school, and probably because I've been sick and its been cold and snowy out, but who knows.

They've brainwashed me. The only thing I'm not still doing is waking up before noon and calling that gosh darned number to see if I have to go downtown and blow. Maybe thats what they wanted me to do. Learn how to sit at home and be boring. The only exciting (or not so) was that the morning after I was off last week, the cop showed up at my door asking if one of us called 911. Said they called back 3 times. The phone never rang.

Input...need Input...

Every Christmas my roomates family buys train tickets for her older (married) sister to come up and visit for a week or so. They only buy three tickets for her sister and each one of the kids and dont bring her husband up here because they don't like him. They also don't tell her when they buy the tickets or ask when she's available to come up here, they just give her the tickets to come up here and the return ticket on the day she leaves. This pisses me off. To a great deal.



They also assume that the three of them can stay with my roommate. Last year when she came up here I didnt live with my roommate, I had my own place in the suburb. But her sister and the roommate got in each others faces last year to the point her sister was about to punch her in the face, she actually had her hand behind her head and was ready to swing when I pulled her away and we left. We went straight to the police department.



The issue was since her husband wasn't up here and her sis doesnt have a phone, her husband was calling her phone nonstop to talk to her and the kids. My roommate said he could call once a night to talk and say goodnight to the kids (ages 1 and 7) and he was calling her phone all the time when she wasn't with her sister. So when she went to her parents house to pick them up to bring them back to her place, she got upset that she told off her husband and was ready to hit her. Due to this, my roommate said she did not want them coming back to her apt that night because she didnt feel safe with her sister and she has a right to feel safe in HER place, where SHE pays the rent, not her dad or her sister.



First of all, she never would have been that angry before she married this guy. Her sister has never had anger issues. Second, when we went to the police department, the officer we spoke with said he would have done the same thing.... if his wife and kids were across the state and he couldnt get a hold of them, he would continue. She wasnt even with her sister at the time he kept on calling and she told him that. Then, while we were sitting there talking to the officer, her husband called the police to do a welfare check on his kids at her parents house because he couldnt reach his wife. Then the officer basically bashed us saying that she was a bad aunt if she threw her sister out in the cold with the two kids. Her sister ended up staying at her apartment and she stayed at my place for two days until they left.



Heres the issue. This Christmas, we have a place together. A 2 bedroom. And her parents just ASSUME that her sister and the two kids can stay here. They have never asked her, they just make it happen. I have said no, I dont want them staying here. First of all, there's no space. Second, I dont like her sister anymore since I've seen things posted on facebook about me. Third, I dont agree with her parents side to not bring all of them to visit. I've always said if my family cant accomodate me then they need to make arrangements to do so and if they refuse to have my husband come visit, then I refuse to come visit.



My roomate claims she is going to tell her parents that she dont want them here, or she just wants the kids here and not her sister. I keep telling her no, and she claims her dad will bribe her, like saying he'll fix her car thats been broke for 6 months and is currently in their backyard, if he lets them stay here. I am prepeared to push them out the door if they arrive here and I dont care if they have to leave in handcuffs. I also told her to tell her Dad that she has to ask me and I say no. Neither her sister or my roommate will stand up to their parents.



What should I do? What would you do?

Tiredness

I is so tired. Want to go to bed. But the ancient dryer in the hallway takes two cycles to completely dry clothes and I've been doing laundry since 5 pm.... last load is on the second try in the dryer.... I shoulda done the jeans first...

I been slacking on blogging. And everything else also. My computer came up with 22 viruses this past week so it disappered for a little bit til my bro fixed it for me, but lost all that was on it. Wiped it clean.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow for us. I can't wait to have a real Thanksgiving type dinner instead of cafeteria community dinner takeout. It was okay but homemade is always better.

Yay I think the dryers done. Bedtime for me. Ooops false alarm. Darn it.

Think my blog needs a makeover. Surprised I've let it stay one way for this long. We've lived here just a little more than a month and I rearranged my room today. When I was a kid I used to rearrange my room every month. I still do. The place I lived in earlier this year I had for 7 months and I think I rearranged the living room 4 times and the bedroom 3 times. I'd rearrange the kitchen if I could!

Chair is comfy. Dont even wanna go to bed. Sleepy bye right here in Daddys recliner that he wants back and isnt getting back ;)

I'm going to do the 101 in 1001 list.... someday. I'm the worst procrastinator in the world, maybe that would help me along a little bit.

More later. Goodnight.

It's a Boy Meets World Marathon Day

Yep. It's on ABC Family at like 6 am... and of course set to record on the DVR. They finished the end episodes last week and re started from the beginning.

I didn't wanna get out of bed today and now that I'm up I dont want to go to bed. Just wanna lay in my recliner and watch TV and randomly play games on facebook.

Cravin chocolate and ice cream.

Think my allergies are hitting me hard. Been sneezing all day and last night and nose was running, and today its just kinda blah cold and raining.... its barely 40 degrees.... theyre saying it might, ahem... um, throw that stuff down we get when it gets cold.

Was outside a little bit ago and felt like I was gonna pass out... my legs went like they just wanted to collapse on me and I got light headed and dizzy. Dunno whats wrong with me. I need a nap.

It WAS a Beautiful Morning...

So the daylight savings time thing gave me an extra hour of sleep and for some reason I was comepletely refreshed when I woke up this morning. Maybe because I went to bed at midnight thirty instead of 2 (or was it really 1?)

Maybe because I didn't have to wake up and rush out the door to walk two miles into the city to catch the bus that only comes by once an hour on Sundays to go downtown and PBT this morning?

Or because I fell asleep reading a book instead of watching tv like I normally do? Maybe I might actually finish this book I got from the library. It's called Suicide Notes and is written from the perspective of a 16 yr old who tried to kill himself and then got committed to a psychiatric unit for 45 days... it's been interesting.

Sun's out, blue sky, light breeze, nearly 60 degrees.... the only thing that could make this day better is if I had the freedom to go for a Sunday drive and see the last of the fall colors before they all disappear. But I still see green outside my window. Which is weird because it's been frosty most every night for the past couple weeks. I almost want to open the windows and air this apartment out before I get a chance to not do so.

So I'm awake and enjoying peace and quiet for approximately an hour or so before the roomate wakes up. I'm in the bathroom and she decides she's going to put a CD in the surround sound system (which is MINE) and crank some tunes, then starts singing along at the top of her lungs. The surround sound system is in the living room, and her bedroom is in the back, and I can hear both her and the music as she's hiding in her room singing along. I come out of the bathroom and say "it's impossible to get any peace and quiet with you around..." and turn off the CD. She says "I was listening to that" and I was like, I dont care. Then she slams the door and goes back into her room.

Yesterday when I walked into the city to catch the bus, she let me borrow her mp3 player because mine mysteriously disappeared before I moved this last summer. I think I left it in my hoodie pocket and it went through the washer then melted in the dryer because it's gone and that hoodie pocket is the last place I remember having it. I didn't ask her to borrow it, she just handed it to me. When I got home last night she told me to keep it for walking downtown in case I had to go today (I didn't) so I left it in my coat pocket.

So two seconds later she comes out of her bedroom, goes into my coat pocket and takes out her mp3 player. I asked her if I gave her permission to go into my coat, and she ignored me and starts singing at the top of her lungs with her mp3 player. Once she comes out of the bedroom into the bathroom, she asked if I still wanted breakfast and I said yeah, and she's like "we'll see" because we only have one egg left and she was going to walk to Kwik Trip to get some eggs so I could make breakfast that she wanted.

Then comes out of the shower and asks if I'm mad at her. I said no, and she said well it seems like you are. I think its time to set some boundaries. Ground rules. But that seems childish.

My Quiet Corner of the Apartment Trailer Park

Awwwww..... aren't we cute? I have no idea how both of us fit on the couch. We were watching Top Gear on the DVR last Monday. I'm so happy he got his license back so he can come see me now!!!!





I did better last term than I thought I did.... Got an A in Juvenile Justice and a B- in Environmental Science.... giving me a 3.33 GPA. This term is almost three weeks in and I have 3 classes now instead of two, my counselor said as long as I keep up at least a 3.0 I can have three classes instead of two. Sociology of Policing on Monday nights, Issues and Ethics in the Helping Profession on Tuesdays, and English Composition on Wednesdays....

In english class last week we were assigned to find an editorial article and write a paper about if we agree or disagree with the editorial. I found an article from the New York Times about how families in New Orleans are claiming they were discriminated against by not receiving as much assistance as those who were wealthier and they have lawsuits pending that won't be heard until next year. Its been 5+ years since Katrina.
I was also interested in going to New Orleans to assist with cleanup and searched on Craigslist but was disappointed to find the people wanted money for room and board to come help them cleanup and rebuild.
So I wrote a paper from both sides and emailed it to my instructor and she asked me to read my entire paper to the class from start to finish, and said that I established good critical thinking skills because not only did I approach the editorial from both sides, but also introduced a solution to the problem. That was cool.
After class I had to speak with her about something and thats when she told me that she can tell I have a talent for writing and I'm brilliant... and I brought a copy of the book I wrote when I was 17 and she took it home to read it.
I have that stupid J.G. Wentworth commercial tune stuck in my head. Most of what I record to the DVR is daytime stuff with all paid programming infomercials during the breaks so I'm happy I get to ff through them... when I remember.
About 3 and a half weeks left on house arrest. It's went by kinda fast, much better now that I'm used to it than at first. Plenty of things to do to keep me busy, mostly homework. I'm glad we moved to this new two bedroom back in the corner, because if the both of us had stayed in that 1 bedroom I'd probably be sitting in jail right now til Dec 1st.
One more thing.... I may have a job but I dunno. APAC called me back, well the temp agency that assists with their hiring did. He asked why I quit, I explained what happened back in May when I left, and he said if I wanted to come back he would have to speak with the HR manager. He called him and called me right back and said the HR manager wanted to speak with me Friday at 1 and didn't see a problem with me coming back to work.
So I went in on Friday and said I had an appt with Todd at 1 and he had no idea what I was talking about. He told me to go ahead and fill out the paperwork and we would go from there. I didn't have to fill out everything, just the background check and basic info stuff, and re take the typing test. Had to get 20% accuracy with I don't remember how many words per minute. I got 95% accuracy with 54 words per minute. Then they said Todd would have to review the paperwork and someone would let me know. A half hour after I leave while I'm waiting for the bus, someone from there called me but I missed the call and they didn't leave a voicemail. So I called the guy who called me back; got his voicemail.... left him a message.... now I'm waiting for him to call me back I guess.
So it's the waiting game again. Oh well.