Relief!! I Feel Like Me Again! Finally! Internet at Home!

The lack of Internet saga got even better. I was notified Friday that my Internet was ready. I didn't have time to mess with it Friday since it was Halloween, so I got to it Saturday. I was so exctied! I thought all I had to do was plug in everything and install the software from Verizon. No signal. I went through all the trouble-shooting with no luck. I tried it on the three jacks in the house. No luck. So, I called tech support. I explained to her that I just moved and was patiently waiting for two weeks for this date, and told her that I was unable to connect, and that the DSL light was not staying static green, instead, just blinking.

After hearing that, her first question was, "When was the last time your Internet worked?"

Duh! No listening skills whatsover. Then, she tried to look up my account info. She kept saying she can't find me. I repeated to her how to spell my name:

T-A-L-A-R-I-C-O

"Okay. I-R-C-O she said back," to which I corrected her again twice.

"I still cannot find you. Are you sure you ordered service from Verizon?"

"Yes. The number on the screen says to call you."

"Okay, it's T-A-L-A-I-R-C-O, right?"

I wanted to kill myself. She FINALLY got it right.

Then, she proceed to ask all the dumb questions like if my power was on (yes) and if I plugged the filter between the wall jack and the modem.

"No. I am not an idiot. I can follow directions, and plus, there is a huge red sticker on the modem that says not to use a filter between the wall and the modem," I told her back. "The problem where is that the DSL is not present..."

Thank goodness the call with her didn't last terribly long, but I was on hold for quite a while to get over to their dispatch department. I got to another lady who was able to help me. Luckily, Verizon has technicians that come out on the weekends. So, she scheduled me for Sunday, which is today. Chuck from Verizon just left and I know have Internet at home! The problem was that the inside line was not connected to the outside or something like that. A big thank-you to him for taking care of things!

So, I can now do all the things I couldn't do for over a month. I am so overdue on all those Facebook requests, e-mails that I needed to reply to that I didn't want to from my phone (takes too long), playing online word games, getting reconnected to WebCT for my MA at Wilkes, doing work from home, blogging, and more. I've managed to do some blogging from wi-fi hotspots, but no much else.

And the funny thing is- I am so tired from last night that I really want to take a nap instead of play online....

Barely Connected at Wegman's, But It's Better Than No Connection At Home

October 30th. That's the soonest I can get hook-up at home from Verizon. Ugh. Who do I have to blow to get service quicker? Or how much extra do I have to pay? I'd do either at this point. Seriously! I can't stand this wait. I'll be living there about seven weeks without phone or Internet. My cell just doesn't cut it.

I came up to Wegman's today to TRY to do some work/play online. I was up unusually early today. Around 8:23 to be exact. I hit the sack last night right after work. I had kind of a late night Thursday and was just dragging all day. I knew if I took a nap I wouldn't wake up again to go out later, so I just caught up on sleep-- about 14 hours of it. So, I woke up and made scrambled eggs with cheese and whole wheat Eggo waffles and set off to run some errands during part of the week I always miss-- before noon on a Saturday.

I was amazed at how many people are awake before noon on a Saturday. I mean, really.... I just assumed everyone was lazy like me. I headed to the bank first, where I had to wait in line-- again, hard to think this many people want to wake up early on a weekend to run errands. I got my security deposit back from my old place and am stoked about that. Hello new washer and dryer!

Next, I went to Spirit Halloween store by the Wyoming Valley Mall and was helped by two friendly gals who helped me try on various costumes. I settled on Viking Girl but will absolutely need tights for underneath. Anyone behind me in the bobbing for apples line will thank me for those tights. It's amazing how small Halloween costumes are. I wanted to be Wednesday from the Addams Family because I really liked the wig, but they only had the outfit in a small and I am most definitely not a small.

Then, I needed a new lamp for my nightstand- I've been wanting something Eastern-themed with a red shade and I knew TJ Maxx would have one. So, I headed up to TJ Maxx and lo and behold, they had EXACTLY what I pictured in my head. I have to remember to get an extension cord, too. I can't wait to light it up and read by it. I can't wait to hang the rest of my Asian stuff up and have a really cool bedroom.

While in the aisle I saw these cool minisculptures that were inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci's Virturvian Man. They are a combination of art and history and a tribute to the way the human body moves. I went to a great lecture a few years ago at Wilkes by Leonard Shlain (who I also got to interview!) and have been since marveld by the combo of art and science. At any rate, I got one of the human hand making the peace sign, very fitting for me. I got one of a human foot with a wing on it, no doubt referring to Icarus and finally one of a man huddled up in the fetal position with wings- I will have to look that one up. But I think they are really cool and different. I was trying to find a picture of them online, but I don't remember the name of the company, but I did Google "Virturvian Man Collection TJ Maxx" and a Washington Post shopping editorial came up, but the page will not load here at Wegman so I don't know if it is about these figurines, but I'll link to it anyway....

That brings me to here, Wegmans, where the Internet is unbelivably slow, just like when I was here last week. I am struggling to load pages in other windows right now. Last time I was here, I could not upload pics to my blog. So, for three weeks now people have not been able to share the rest of my San Fran pics or see my pics from Solid Cactus Boot Camp. This makes me sad. I may have to unplug and go to Panera Bread, but that place is way too small and always so loud and busy, and so is Dunkin Donuts. They just aren't the right atmospheres to be in to work. The cafe at Wegmans in Wilkes-Barre is huge and I have a private corner and access to a great coffee bar, sushi bar and more. And if you did not see the beer selection here- oh my goodness! I am happy they got the license to sell six packs. I am going to buy an assortment of beer when I leave - Harvest Moon by Blue Moon is out. Mmmm. So much good beer in the fall! And, I am surrounded by it all right now and I am getting thirsty!

Regarding the net, I asked for help, but the guy said there is nothing wrong. Wi-Fi works fast for me everywhere else so I don't really know what the problem is, but I am growing frustrated- for example, like last time I was here, it's going on 40-minutes for 20 pictures to be uploaded. It's insane. So, here I am. Still alive without the Internet at home, but it's like I am on life support. Barely breathing. Barely connected. I miss the Internet.

Landmark Torn Down in Swoyersville

The title of this post is misleading, but that's really what headlines do. Not a real landmark, but the landmark I've been using for three weeks to find me new house. See, I live in the middle of a really long block. There's no real landmark to show you are getting close to my house. This will be difficult when I start inviting people over. So, I moved in the the middle unit of my buildling but one apartment in the house was still available. The "For Rent" sign was prominent in the year, easy to see from down the road.

Last night when I headed down my street, I totally passed out my own house because the "For Rent" sign was down. I had to turn around and go back. I guess I have a new neighbor.

Things Slip By When You're Busy

The past three weeks have been unbelievably busy. I've moved. I was super sick. I went to San Fran for four days. I had a busy work week with our semi-annual Boot Camp. So, it really was the worst time EVER to move. I have a to-do list, a very long to-do list.

1. I still do not have internet at my new place. I've become a frequenter of the areas in Northeast PA that have free wi-fi. Sure I have internet at work, but I really can't use it for the personal things I need to, like watch porn. Not, just kidding. I mean, my blog, my Facebook and work in stuff for school. And in general, e-mail. The only link to the outside world when I am at home is my Q. But the mobile apps for the things I use suck. I really should have listened to my friends and got the iPhone when I needed to get a new cell phone the other week.

2. I still do not have a television at my new place. I made the concession in May when Dave and I split up to leave him the TV and then to NOT get a new one until I am done my memoir draft for the M.A. Turns out, I am quite lonely without a TV. Not that I ever watch it, but it's so quiet. Just for background noise, or news in the morning. Or to lure someone over to watch a movie... I will probably not get cable, but I think I need a TV. The TV stand is lonely. The DVDs and VHS tapes (yes, I have those) are lonely. And the living room just looks funny without one. Everyone is telling me to wait until Black Friday and thereafter to get one so I probably will. I trust the people who have more electronics than I.

# 1 and #2 make me feel like I am in the Stone Age. (But when I think about the Flintstones, even that prehistoric family and their neighbors had some kind of TV thing.) I get bored when I am at home, which leads to a lot more productivity at work because I work late. But when I am at home, I have nothing to do. I love to read, but sometimes I need a break. Sometimes I actually will call someone, but it feels so awkward talking on the phone these days.

3. I still do not have a washer and dryer in the new place. This means I must go to the laundromat. Ugh. I have only had to go once so far because I was between both places until last week. The good thing is that the one I must go to is a block from Hops and Barley's in Luzerne. Rather than sit there and watch the timers go, I went and put a load in the washer, went to Hops for dinner with two friends from work, went back to put then in the dryer, went back to Hops to have a few beers and then went back to the laundromat to fold the clothes. It made the chore less like a chore. Because of #1, I was dying for a laundromat with wi-fi. I will try to find one, but I highly doubt the ass-old laundromats would think of that, nor would the majority of the population who would need to use a laundromat would actually bring a laptop with them.

I would have Internet at home if it wasn't for the stupid hours Frontier has. They are only open until 6pm. I tried several times to call them on lunch, but I was on hold for 15 minutes once in the queue-- so I hung up. I rarely take a full lunch at work and I really don't want what little break I have to mean sitting there with the cell to my ear listening to crappy music. So, I get irritated and hang up. I usually work until 6-7pm, so by the time I leave work and try to call, I get the message that they are only available until 6 p.m. I forgot. Then, I did get a guy one day and after telling him everything-- he said, "Since you are coming from rural to city, you actually need to talk to someone else." I asked if I could be directly transferred. No. I had to dial back into a new number. Then, I was going away for a week and then last week was tied up with work events-- they told me I had to be on site to get the new phone and Internet hooked up-- well that just sucks. So, I decided not to call since I couldn't be available for two weeks anyway.

I really take being connected for granted now that I've been disconnectd for a while.

The Psychic at the Fair

My favorite time of year, fall, is marked by the annual Bloomsburg Fair. I checked it out last night, opening night, with a few friends. I've gone with different people each year the past two-plus decades of my life, but each year the Bloomsburg Fair is familiar. I couldn't go a year without going at least once, usually two or three times. This year, however, I tried something new. I had my palm read.

Psychics would make excellent sales people. Take this. The sign said $3.00 Palm Reading. I grabbed a five out of my purse and entered the tent. A Zelda Rubenstienish lady held up a sign as I was sitting down. A real palm reading was $10, and she had three other readings listed for up to $20. She said, "The $3.00 is just a personality read." I thought, ya got me, so I pulled out another $5.00 and forked it over to the lady just for shits and giggles. When she was done with my reading, she squeezed my hands and pulled me in close to her and whispered that she wanted to do spiritual work on me, starting at $25. Yikes. I told her I only had a credit card and no more cash and left, but if she really was psychic she would have known I very well had the cash, which I intended on spending on more fried food and a purse.

Despite her conniving nature, the psychic said some things to me that were true. Sure, they are good people readers and generalize a lot. But it is a little uncanny some of the things she said to me:

1. You recently experienced some pain in your neck and your left leg. Hmm. I was in the ER for an unexplained left leg problem. See a past blog post about this. And since I have vacated my bedroom because of the mold, my neck has been killing me from the couch.

2. You've only loved two men. Now, if by that she means two relationships, then that was right on. Just two thus far. She also told me that I would be getting close with someone soon. Hmmm.

3. You don't have just one job, do you? You do something creative. That's true.

4. You like to have fun, but not alone. You like to be with friends and you like to organize things for friends. This is true.

5. You make money but you don't know how to save money. But that's okay because you just want happiness. This is also true.

6. You will live a long and healthy life. I hope this is true.

7. A lot of people admire you, but a lot of people talk behind your back too. I am sure this is true; it's just human nature.

8. You have two children. FALSE. She looked at me real funny, paused for a bit and said, well, you were meant to have two children. I thought about this later on the ride home from the fair- I had two miscarriages. Maybe she knew I was pregnant twice?

The psychic also told me I would be getting a letter in the mail with good news, and that I would soon be making a lot more money. We'll see about that one! I myself have always been intuitive and could read things about people and sometimes even scared people by the things I knew would happen, so I can understand having a psychic vibe. Do I buy everything she told me? No- she's doing it to make money not to really help people. Am I somewhat weirded out? A little bit. Do I want to believe there is a letter in the mail? You bet. Will I count on it? Nah. Haha.

Things I've Been Craving: Tattoos, Snacks, Beer and House stuff

This blog is dedicated to the things I've been craving. Some I got, so I didn't. "Some I got" is poor grammar, I know. I don't know why I wrote that.

ROOT BEER FLOATS

We have a really cool restaurant/deli at work. They happen to serve ice cream. One of my co-workers, G., walked by me with a dish of strawberry ice cream and it looked delicious and refreshing. So, I headed downstairs to get some of my own. Only, I took plastic Pepsi cup I use to fill up with soda (when I am bad) and water (when I am good) and decided that I would put a few scoops of vanilla in there. And then, fill it up with Mug root beer. My own home-made root beer float. To my dismay, everyone was craving ice cream today-- there was no vanilla left. I didn't think strawberry and root beer would mix, so I just ate the ice cream and took my empty cup back up stairs. But now, I am craving a root beer float like you wouldn't believe.

MICHELOB AMBER BOCK

For a short while I worked for a Budweiser wholesaler doing promotions. During this time I was forbidden to drink anything but Anheuser-Busch products. At the time I drank a lot of Yeungling Lager, so my boss suggested Michelob Amber Bock. I liked it. I enjoyed buying cases at the employee discount. Once I left Bud, I didn't revert back to Lager either. I switched to Miller Lite solely because I was gaining weight. But, I still craved Amber Bock. But, nowhere I regularly drank offered it on tap. And, I always forgot to ask for it in bottles. So, last week when I went to Bar Louie at the casino with my friend, I saw it was featured on tap. Bar Louie is based in the Midwest where AB is located- so it made sense. I was excited and quickly changed my lemonade order to Amber Bock. Mmmm. So last night I was at a pizza place and the Olympics were on. I saw some amazing divers but then was even more dazzled by the ad for Amber Bock. Twice in one week I was reminded of a beer I spent so much time with back in 2002-ish. So today after work I went to Bonanza Beverage in Dallas and picked up a case of Amber Bock bottles for a mere $21.90. Killer deal I think.

FURNITURE

I have been craving carpets, a dining room stable and storage solutions since I moved into this hell hole in May. The only way I can make the ugly ceiling and ugly paneling look better is with nice furniture. And jazzing up the place. I still think I may hold off on a TV for self-discipline reasons. But still, it just feels un-American to have one. Still, I guess I am pretty un-American because I do not shop at freaking Wal-Mart. At any rate, I finally decided to splurge. I got a nice new dining room table- pub style at Kurlancheek's in Exeter... super nice people there. I bought some area and throw rugs- a cool shaggy kind from Target. Next is a desk, some fake trees and some wall coverings and I will be set. I also bought a storage cabinet for the bedroom for all my junk. But that has to be put together so that will wait until after the Tulsa trip.

A TATTOO- Had a crazy dream

I put on my turn signal to turn into Marc's Tattooing at their new Shavertown location but I kept going in the direction of home/beer store. I've been contemplating my tattoo seriously now the past few weeks. I want to get the word "Imagine" on my back (lower or upper) or my shoulder. Any ideas?? I am not sure what font and if I want any kind of illustration with it. I thought if I stopped in I could get some ideas from the artists at Marc's Tattooing. But I figured I'd get roped into it, and if I got a tattoo now and it did make my back hurt, the flight may be uncomfortable. Aslo, I had this dream last night that made me feel better about getting a tattoo. I was at the tattoo parlor (why is it called a parlor?) and the guy injected ink inside me with a big novacaine type needle and it hurt. It was one of those dreams where you actually FEEL the pain. I woke up it "hurt" so bad. When I woke up I thought to myself, "If it is less pain than that, it'll be cool." And get this- I fell back asleep and I finished where I left off. I told the guy it hurt and he said, "You only have the top line of the Capital I. Is that okay?" I told him it was and I left.

A Day of Errands

Since my dryer's heating element burnt and my new dryer won't be here until Tuesday, I did something I haven't done in a while. I went to the laundromat. It has hot. But, it did the job. I didn't have to wash AND dry, so that made it less painful. When I lived in Tulsa, they had this cool laundromat called Duds 'n Suds which had a snack bar, TV lounge, pool table, video games and even served beer. I wish there was a place like that around here. Not that I want to always have to go to the laundromat, but if and when I do need to, it'd be cool to have a hip place to go. There was a nice older man there that I struck a conversation with. He was pissed that people leave the clothes in the dryer and then don't come back.

After the laundromat, I went to Kmart to get an iron and an ironing board. Since I've been a few days without a dryer, I realized that I didn't have an alternative method to the "Donna Ironing Method" which is spray down the wrinkled shirt with a water bottle and then put in the dryer for 15 minutes. So, I thought I should invest in an ironing board and iron. Makes me feel domestic though and I don't like it one bit.

I decided to hit up Deb and that wasn't a good idea for two reasons. 1) The clothes there are in junior sizes or plus sizes. Nothing fit me. And I know. I tried a lot on. 2) There was a crazy lady who entertained me while I was trying on the too small tank tops.

This woman was in the dressing room.... a girl and her mom approached the dressing room. I could here them say, "Are you almost done? You just wanted to stop in quick and now my frozen foods are melted. Hurry up." (They must have been next door at Price Chopper first.)

"Yay! The food's getting cold, " screamed the girl. (It really wasn't getting cold- that's just what the little girl said.)

"Okay, I'll hurry," said the crazy lady. I wished I had a tape recorder. This woman was going off-- her friends had left and said they'd be in the car.

"Oh, I'm so messy! Oh, I need to tip this lady. This poor lady. I'm so messy."

I was holding in the laughter as I took off one top and put on another.

"Where's my money? Did I lose my money? Oh fuck, why am I so messy? I need my own car, I need my own car, I need my own car so people don't have to wait for me. Oh God, Oh God."

This is when I wished I had a camera.

"What time do you close Deb lady?" she hollered. A woman yelled 6. "What time is now?" The lady yelled, "4!"

"Oh goodness I have time to clean up. Why am I so messy?? I want to buy this but I don't have time. Nothing fits me. Nothing. I need my own car."

I wanted to flippin' pop my head underneath the dressing room to see what was going on. I was limited to bringing in three articles at a time, so I had no clue what kind of mess this lady made. When the lady finally left, I didn't have a shirt on but I opened the door anyway and held a t-shirt to hide myself- I had to see what she looked like. She was storming out..... I could only see the back of her.... from the back, she seemed somewhat normal. A little overweight but I wish I could see her face and teeth. I think she was fucked up on some serious drugs.

When I exited, I told the "Deb lady" that the woman was nuts. She said that the crazy lady threw all the clothes on the rack by the front door on her way out.

So, that was entertaining. I actually found two shirts that fit. The next stop was Price Chopper. I wanted to get a hanging plant, but everything looked wilted, so I went back to my truck. I didn't realize this before, but right by my door were three smashed cars of whipped cream. All I could think of was how Price Chopper is open 24.7 and that some teenagers either bought or stole these cans and did whippets in the parking lot. They're fun, sure. But the high lasts a minute. Then you get a headache. Then you can't use the whipped cream.

Then, I went tanning. They make you show your eyewear. They are eyewear Nazi's. And it's cool because I wear the eyewear to protect myself and always do. It's just funny to have a really tan teenage girl as, "Can I see your eyewear?" They won't let you in without it.

Then I went to Walgreen's by my house to by cat litter because I forgot at Kmart and Price Chopper. I ended up spending $70 when all I needed was cat litter. Don't you hate that?

So, now I think I need a beer and I will do just that. Happy Hour Sunday. Whew. What a day.

I have so much stuff

Comedian George Carlin once said, "A house is just a place for your stuff. You get a bigger house, you get more stuff...." (Okay, I am editing this post because I just found this classic bit on YouTube of George Carlin's A Place for My Stuff.)



So true. I am moving from a house to a smaller, one-bedroom apartment that doesn't have a lot of built-in storage. What to do? I save everything. I'd hate to part with stuff since sometime in the future I'll surely have a bigger place again. I have filing cabinets of nearly all the notes I took and papers I wrote from college, and even back to high school. I have boxes upon boxes of memorabilia from the days I worked in radio. That's all cool shit I don't want to part with. I have every birthday card I've received. I have bins of stuffed animals I was given over the years. I have jeans I probably won't fit into again, but want to save them just incase.

And the books!! That's one set of stuff I won't part with, but I've tried reducde clutter over the years, so I bought lots of books on clutter.... never read 'em and now they are part of the clutter.

I am thinking that either Dave can let me keep a small area in that attic -- but I will still sort through all the shit-- until I get a bigger place or I will just rent small storage unit. The most important thing to me is since I am starting over, I don't want the clutter there. I move in by Tuesday-- when the new shower is getting installled- it was special order because of the tiny space- but that is not enough time to sort through everything. Some of the stuff has never been unpacked from when Dave and I moved in together three years ago!! Like I really use it, right? But I think it is comforting to me knowing that I still have all these memories, somewhere.

So-- I better stop blogging and get to packing and loading the truck. Then, I get to go to Target or Big Lots or Office Depot a little later to find me a new desk. I am excited about that!

Back to that George Carlin clip, A Place for My Stuff-- this has a special place in my family. We've moved so many times that back in the 80s or whenever it came out, it became a family favorite and a family joke.

What I learned from Augusten Burroughs

When you were a teenager, do you remember having heart palpatations when you were at a New Kids on the Block concert and you were close to, say, maybe Donnie Wahlberg? Yeah. I felt that way yesterday at the Free Library of Philadelphia when Augusten Burroughs walked on stage. 12 or so hours later, I still kinda have those butterflies.

My fellow Wilkes University MA in Creative Writing friend and classmate, Angie and I, along with her avid-reader friend, Shannon trekked into the city of brotherly love to see Augusten Burroughs read from his new memoir, A Wolf at the Table, which by the way is getting rave reviews from places like The Washington Post.

I cannot put to words how I felt when I read Running With Scissors. That book really gave me the courage to write my own memoir-- but at the same time, it also entertained the hell out of me. I don't think there is anyone else on this Earth like Augusten. In Running with Scissors, we learn that as a kid he loved shiny things and dreamed of fame. Now that he has it, guess what? He's just like you and me. He's honest, sincere and just so super-freaking inspiring to people like me. And he is funny as shit, too.

I did the unthinkable. I wrote him a fan/thank-you letter this morning. It's so strange-- when I worked in country radio, I had the really cool opportunity to meet some big names in the music biz-- and not so much with the big stars, but I also got to hang out and do some really cool things on a personal level with lots of singers (many who turned out to be one-hit wonders) that have had a lot of mainstream radio success. They were all cool, but it was so usual for me. I didn't get excited about meeting someone famous anymore. I don't get star-struck easy is what I am trying to say. Meeting Augusten was very different. He's truly someone I have related to for years. And I met him. And when he signed my book, he gave me writing advice and recommended a book to read (Elizabeth Berg- The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted.) There were hundreds in line ahead of us- but he didn't rush us. He wasn't tired. He wanted to talk to us. He's so humble.

I am not ready to share my story with the world just yet through this blog- but there are some things I never had the courage to put on paper yet-- some painful things I want to include in the memoir. Through reading Augusten, as well as the support from my Wilkes mentors, things are really coming together for me on the writing front. Finally. I am drafting it now, and will hopefully one day get to see it printed.

In his reading- which was FANTASTIC- he was just so animated. A Wolf at the Table is a little different than his past memoirs- this one is a told a little more seriously because as Augusten explained, he didn't have the humor defense mechanism developed yet- he was a lot younger. So as an aspiring memoirist, it was very cool to hear about this being in a totally different voice because it was a different time in his life. But Augusten Burroughs does not hide behind the podium. He walks around the stage with a wireless mic and tells us a story- he doesn't read to us. He shared it like he was talking to a few friends- not an auditorium filled with fans. He also reads his own audio books. I also listened to Running With Scissors and my god, did he do a stellar job. Makes me wonder why he never got into film or theater.

During the Q&A, he was just so open. He gave some great writing advice as well, describing the memoir process like I never heard before. Someone in the audience had asked if Augusten felt Scissors helped create the memoir craze-- which of course led to some "lying memoirs" so Augusten commented on that with an answer so amazing that I took notes on my checkbook (I didn't have my moleskine). The answer itself was one that I have been sort-of taught- that a memoir is the way we remember something. But the analogy he used was awesome. Maybe I'll post it later, but Angie and I were both blown away by his advice. He also quoted Einstein, that there is no one point of relation in the universe. We all see things from a different perspective. It was powerful. The whole freakin' night was just powerful.

And- if you have not read Augusten Burroughs. Do it. Read Running With Scissors first-- if you read that, I know you will fall in love with him too. Then, Dry. Then read the others- Possible Side Effects was great and so was Magical Thinking. I actually was with Augusten from the beginning because I bought Sellevision when it first came out- that's his only novel. I was a communications major, so I was always fascinated by TV stations..... Buy them from your favorite bookstore because I want his sales to soar. However, if you want you can also use the library or if you are local, borrow them from me.

But by golly, read Augusten Burroughs. Turn off the freakin' TV and read a reality book-- a memoir.

P.S. Speaking of courage, I have more. To really focus on my career, education and writing, I have decided to move into my own apartment in Shavertown- less than a mile from where I work. Out of respect for Dave, I won't publicly write a blog about the whole thing or share those kinds of feelings right now, but wanted to at least mention it because it goes along with this whole theme here-- but please know that everything is fine- it's on good terms and just something that I need to do. This week has really been a week of change! So, here is to new beginnings.

P.P.S- I didn't realize that I've blogged and written so much about him: http://randomthoughtsfromdonna.blogspot.com/search?q=augusten+burroughs

Why I Don't Care for Big Box Electronic Stores & Our Living Room Make-Over

This is coming from a girl who had a six-month stint at Best Buy, between careers. Service at big box electronic stores is pretty much non-existent. At least at the specific ones Dave and I visited at the specific times we went. I don't want to generalize I suppose.

It all started with wanted to get rid of the couch and love-seat I've had for over a decade. (Which, I'll blog about Raymour and Flanigang later, now that it's delivered.) So, we decided while we waited for the Saturday delivery, we'd paint the walls. While brand new and in good condition, when we bought our house, the walls in the living room were laminated paneling... with a swirly green design-- it reminded me of wrapping paper. We never painted over it, but I really did despise it. So, now we have a nice, neutral, Earthy tone on the walls.

Since our living room is one of those narrow front rooms, we don't have much room now with the sectional for a TV stand, so we decided that we'd mount the plasma on the wall. And, since we're going to be doing some wiring and have to hide it within the wall, we figured, what the hell, may as well look at home theater systems. I actually think our living room is too small for this, but Dave wants it. So, that brings me to the first half of the title of this blog.

Last night, we went out to price and possibly buy the wall mount, cables and home theater system. Money in pocket in case we found a deal... So, Dave went to Circuit City while I went to Target to look at drapes. When he met up with me in Target, he said that there were four guys in CC attire lurking in the Home Theater section. Dave had questions, and not one approached him. So, he left.

Our next stop was Best Buy. Once again, I let Dave do his electronic thing while I went into TJ Maxx to see if I could find some home decor stuff (I found these too cool Buddah things for our bedroom), he ran into Best Buy. Once again, no one approached him. I was appalled because when I worked there-- at this very Best Buy- we were trained on the 10-feet, 10-second rule. You must acknowledge the customer within ten seconds if they get within ten feet of you- something like that. I know when I worked there, we did. Not sure if management changed or if the staff just doesn't care. Some of these mounting systems are expensive-- couple that with the speakers systems, the cables, etc. we're talking a large purchase. So, Best Buy did not want our money either.

On to Sears. It was 8:30, almost closing time by now. We walked into the Home Theater section and there were three people on staff. One was an older woman who just looked at us. Didn't say a word. Did she assume we were just looking? You NEVER assume in sales. So, a younger guy, his name was Shaun, was playing Guitar Hero on this huge Plasma screen TV. He actually saw us, stopped his game, and came right up to us. That's service in my book. He was extremely helpful. We ended up not buying that night since it was almost closing time, and he gave us some ideas... so we needed to do some measurements. By this time the lady, who I think was the manager, was counting the money in the register. I said loud enough to make her feel guilty, that we'd be back and we'd ask for him because we wanted him to get the sale because he was so helpful. In a clothing store, I can see not wanting to be approached by a salesperson, but in a section that requires technical knowledge and where consumers will have lots of questions-- those sales people at Best Buy and Circuit City should be helpful. I wanted to go to Radio Shack because the people there are always helpful, but maybe next time. We have to give the business to Shaun at Sears.

That's my story. Stay tuned to the prequel to this, about how Raymour & Flanigan doesn't want your money.

What I Want for Christmas - Santa can you hear me?

I'll be honest. Christmas sucks this year! Gas prices are high. And with that, everything else has gone up. I don't want my blog to be about complaining, but my goodness this year is rough! I mean, we have a long gift list. So, we're buying for everyone else first, and will probably not get each other anything this year. But there are some things that I would love for Christmas this year. So, perhaps I will buy them in January when my student loan money comes in. Thanks George Bush for making Christmas in America blow.

1. Senseo Coffee Maker and lots of coffee pods
Ever since my Labor Day trek to Suppa's, my creative writing classmate's house, I have been in love with the Senseo coffee maker. I also like the idea of coffee pods. They are just neat. Every cup of coffee from this nifty machine is fresh and frothy. I know it's a bit more expensive to buy the pods all the time, but if you love coffee like I do, man is it worth it! It makes the coffee so fast, too. I've haven't found these at any local store, but I did find them online at http://www.coffeeforless.com/ for around $70. Not too shabby!

2. A Killer Desk with lots of storage- found a cool one for about $600 at Just Cabinets
My old desk was huge and it moved four times. It was starting to fall apart-- it was that particle board stuff. So, this summer we burned it. Now, my desk is a card table. It's wobbly. And, I have no drawers to stash my clutter. I have no shelves for my reference books. I am a writer and dammit, I need a good desk. Of course I swear once I have a new desk, I will become organized. I know that won't happen, but I still need the desk! So, I found a desk with a matching hutch at Just Cabinets in Edwardsville- I fell in love with this and its still available and also on the store's website. The desk is way cooler than it looks in this picture.... has all these hook-ups and neat nooks and crannies.

3. Anything or Everything on my Amazon.com Wishlist
Maybe I'd have more money if I didn't spend so much throughout the year on Amazon.com. I hate that they know me so well. Amazon is KING of marketing and data-- everytime I go to the site, all these reccomendations pop up-- it's like they are in my head. I've worked in sales and marketing and in e-commerce and I still fall for it. I buy something nearly everytime I visit. But not everything. I still have a wishlist there. What kind of chick am I? I'd rather have books than jewelry!

4. A Harmonica
Really. I'm serious. I love the harmonica. Always wanted to know how to play.

Then there's socks and underwear, too. I guess I could go on and on-- but those are some things I've been wanting for a while now. Okay- back to Christmas card addressing. I can't believe it, but I lost my address book. I got a new, really cool address book and put some addresses in there, but never transfered everything. Now, I can't find my old one. Ten years worth of addresses!! Maybe it's in my car or something- didn't check there yet. I'm so bummed.

Storage Issues: Clutter and More

I have a lot of stuff. And I don't want to part with it. Until we can build an addition and until I get a bigger desk, I must deal with piles of papers. As a writer, you can imagine the accumulation of clips from the last seven years. I only have one filing cabinet and that's been full for years. Since I have a laptop, I now just have a writing desk- so I need something bigger. We only have a two-bedroom house, so right now we share the spare bedroom as an office/gym/closet- so you can see why I don't have me dream writing nook.

I think it is going to be my new year's resolution this year to become organized. I have been asking Dave for years to build my dream wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling bookshelf and storage unit. That's my dream. Plenty of room for all my books and cool memorobilia from my radio & music days-- then cabinets below to store (hide) pictures, files, junk, etc. I've been spending a lot of time looking online for temporary fixes for all my stuff-- but I haven't bought anything yet. In fact, one of my clients I was speaking with is the catalog manager of an organizing site and she is sending me a catalog! But-- Dave tells me where to put it.... haha. But he has an organized garage. But, I was looking at some storage solutionsthat could even work for him at a place called Car Guys Garage. He actually just bought TWO old '67 Chevy's- one for parts and one to rebuild. So-- he has his space and I need my dream office.

One day....

And the air-conditioner goest in & lots o' birthdays-- and Organic Stuff

Finally. It's hot in northeast pa. Today was a scorcher and I lived it up by laying in the sun. I need to do something about this pale body o' mine.

Then, I came inside and did some housework. When I went upstairs to put away the laundry that has piled up (of course on the Bowflex- what else is expensive home-gym equipment for?) but it was so hot upstairs. Downstairs was okay-- breathable, liveable. But yeah- I wasn't going to suffer from heat exhaustion just to put away clothes in the kiln-like bedroom.

My one day vacation from not getting the bedroom in order is over, however. It's my fault. I asked Dave to put in our AC. He's doing that right now as we speak. We only have one unit, so we are going to look into one of those plug-in stand up, rotating ones that way we can still use our window, plus they look nicer. Anyone know of a good brand to look into? Let us know!

BIRTHDAYS

We have a lot to celebrate this weekend, and not just my new job. Nikki from the Weekender who I adore is turning 30 so her parents are throwing her a bash. I look forward to attending. Dave's sister Marie is also celebrating her b-day, as is our good friend, Andy. So, we're likely to stay in on Friday since we have so many functions to attend!!

And Dave's is coming up on the 21st, my sister's on the 22nd and then mine in July. Happy birthday, everyone!

GOING SOMEWHAT ORGANIC

As some of you know, I became a vegetarian and am totally LOVING the way I feel lately. I am also trying to go as organic as I can, especially with fruits and veggies and things. It's kind of pricey as I learned from my trip to Wegman's but I want to feel and look good and I've done so much reading on the benefits of going organic.

So, I bought organic peaches, bananas, pears and spiniach. I don't think the bagged carrots I got are. I also bought some kick ass organic cereal which I wrote about. (I will post the link as soon as it publishes.) I also bought BWC organic shampoo and conditioner, which I loved. I did buy organic JASON toothpaste, but was not thrilled about that. I know that Tom's is good, but Wegman's didn't sell it.

There's just one teeny thing I have to work on. It just didn't make sense to put all these organic groceries in the trunk of a BIG SUV.

(Speaking of organic and veggie-eating, I wrote about the new BK Burger King Veggie Burger- read about it here.)

I found $300 stashed in my basement! And my digital camera cord!

POST #1 of the day- It was a GREAT weekend.

I had more energy than I have in a very long time. I think I have that S.A.D thing, because when it's miserable, I lack energy. Today, someone even told me I looked brighter. After a great weekend and having a lot accomplished, for once I actually can't wait to get home to do more work! At any rate, here are some updates:

Flea Market = $300+ & Letting Go
I literally found $300 in my basement and attic. Not literally, but that's how much the junk I sold was worth at the flea market. From apartment to rental house to house, I have carried the same damn boxes and never unpacked them. I accumulate stuff and I can't let go. I wanted to have a yard sale, but someone suggested going to the flea market instead.

For example, I haven't worked at the radio station in almost six years. Do I really need every single t-shirt, giveaway and coffee mug that I ever got from the station or clients to remind me that I worked there? They sold like hotcakes. I didn't bring the t-shirts, but the coffee mugs were a hit. I also have a filing cabinet filled with papers I wrote since high school. I am a dork. I save everything!

At any rate, we got up early on Saturday and Dave did some yard work and got some of his things together. I spent five hours in our attic room, which is slanted to go with the roof. I have the lower back pain to prove it. I filled five large garbage bags with items I finally decided to part with. I actually have room. It felt so great to get rid of so much stuff!

We were up just before 5 a.m. and when we got home from the flea market Dave mowed the yard and I went through the kitchen and weeded out more things we don’t use, cleaned out the fried and just got rid of clutter. It’s time for this chick to let go!

I pretty much focused my efforts on getting rid of household items for the flea market, so I still have a lot of personal papers to go through. I save every article I ever write, but sometimes I don’t get around to clipping them out of the paper. So, I have four bins filled with Weekenders and Times Leaders and Wilkes U. Beacons. I also about four or five bins and two filing cabinets filled with paperwork and all my binders from every college class I took. Oh yeah—I have a big box filled with every note I got from friends in junior high—from when I lived in Oklahoma! I can probably weed all that stuff that down to ONE bin and ONE filing cabinet.

I seriously feel incredible now that that stuff is gone. There is a new book out that I want to get called "It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Les Stuff" and it says that a cluttered person can become depressed, anxious, etc. all things that I’ve experienced the past few years. My cluttered mind really ruled my life, I think.



Oh yeah! My camera cable!
I have a digital camera, but for over a year now I have not used it. I lost my cable. I did not have a memory card. I kept putting off getting a new one. While I was cleaning the basement,I found it! There were pics on there of Dave's nephew the day he was born. He's one now. Haha. I uploaded them to my computer and now I am ready to take more. PREPARE FOR PICTURE BLOGS!! Yeah! I almost bought a new camera, too.