Hot Hot Heat Stroke...

Well... Since I'm not running, I guess I should write about it!

July, thus far, has been very chill which is just what I needed after a very eventful/busy June. The day after Summerfest with Betsy, I started my new job on the 1st. I'm still in the training process which will take a few months because there is a lot of stuff I need to know so I don't waste student's time and money. Basically what I do is compare the transfer students previously taken courses to Columbia College's courses, then figure out how many more and what classes they need to take in order to graduate with a certain degree. So far, I really like the people I work with. Since we are in cubes, there isn't too much communication going on but there is definitely the occasional pun or comment from across the room. I really like working close to downtown too because there are lots of lunch choices that I can walk to, even though I can tell it's really going to add up, calorie AND money wise.
For Lindsay's birthday, we had quite the eventful evening. After dinner at Addisons, went to Tin Can for skee ball and live music, then on to Columbia's new Hookah bar! It was a wonderful break from the bar scene for an hour before we headed to Quintons until closing time when we went to the new Mexican place downtown. They have a "dollar menu", if you will, and serve drinks. Then, on Sunday night we had a family style dinner around the table. It was a great time!

This weekend was moving weekend! I finally moved into my very own 2 bedroom apartment. Granted, I am currently sitting on the floor using a box to set my computer on because I have no furniture! It was only the hottest weekend of the year, but luckily I didn't have too much big stuff to move. I'm already on my second trip to Walmart to pick up miscellaneous odds and ends including a bathroom set, curtains, and a good amount of food based around sack lunch intentions. Since I don't have anything in my living room or 2nd bedroom just yet, I can't really plan decorations, placement, etc. I'm hoping I'll have enough man-power and horse-power tomorrow night to get my friends furniture over here. She is moving into a furnished apartment so my place will be much like a storage unit, which I'm fine with :) I also earned a couch and chair as payment for cleaning my listing.
Speaking of my real estate world, I've had 2 closings in the last 2 weeks and another one scheduled for next Thursday! This money couldn't have come at a better time, since I'm dishing it out on random needs/wants for my place, new tires, and other things that I've been putting off until I got a paycheck. Maybe I'll dye my hairs and bleach my teefers!? The possibilities are endless!

Week 10 and the 4th of JULY!

Running has been going great. Still going 3 miles, 3 times a week, then a longer run on Saturday. And now that I get off work at 5, it's been easier to make myself go. Plus the weather is 80s when I catch it between rains! There have been some perfect sleeping storms these past few days and we are supposed to get them all week!

I started my new job on Thursday. Leaving the apartment at 7:30 is MUCH different than leaving in jeans and a ponytail at 8:50. So far, I've been doing alright with mornings. It helps that my roommate is up with me. She usually leaves at 7:15 or so, but I take longer to get ready since I'm a morning showerer. It doesn't take me the whole 30 minutes to get to work, but I better get in the habit because once school starts, it will. plus, I'll be living a few minutes further South in a few weeks.


I have my very own cube within paper-tossing distance from Jennifer. I haven't quite made it my own because I'll need to print out pictures and get the siblings to send me some new ones of my nieces and nephews (hint, hint!) I don't think I've gotten pictures printed since my sophomore year. There is a ton of training I'll need to get so right now I'm just working on course equivalencies and comparing other colleges course schedule to our own. But everyone I've talked to said it only gets better, so I'm looking forward to that. I turned in all my papers for taxes, insurance, direct deposits, etc. today, and finally got my parking pass. I think I'm going to love working close to downtown because I can walk pretty far in an hour. Now, I just wish my friend who works/lives downtown wasn't quitting and moving South!

There is nothing greater than starting a new job for 2 days, followed by a 3 day holiday weekend! I cleaned Friday night so I could run AND watch the soccer game before the festivities began! I finally made it over to the Hall's around 1:30. We brought the TV outside so we could sit in the baby pool in the backyard and watch the Spain-Paraguay game! I always wonder what people think when they drive by, because it's practically a carnival back there, because of course, we had the Slip N Slide, AKA 50ft construction tarp, set up also.
Not that anyone is surprised, but things get out of hand when the Slip N Slide comes out. Actually, out of hand, might not be the right word for it. Chances are, if we were still in our prime, we might not feel so beat up the next few days, but we. are. NOT! I've got scratches all down my back and legs, bruises on most extremities from the ROCKS we had holding down the tarp and from hitting the fence at the bottom, my ear lobe got chomped by the dog protecting Lindsay, and lets just say, the bug bites came in pairs!

For some reason, we always prefer to celebrate the 3rd more than the 4th! Maybe that is just how the holiday has fallen these last few years, but it doesn't bother me at all! For the actual holiday, we all grabbed lunch at HuHot, split up for a few hours, then got back together for more games and family dinner of steak and potatoes! Oh... and did I mention the Sieker came in town!?! And to top it all off, I didn't have to go to work on Monday :)