Zooooooooooom

So, I am official. Well... I'm official for a month, but I have all of the documentation I need to get registration stickers on my car. I'm going to wait though--I paid $20 for a temporary sticker that I didn't even need (was told it was needed in order to get an inspection, but the guy didn't even bat an eyelash or ask for it... grrr). I'm going to use this temporary sticker! I'll tell you what, it really helped taking care of some of the paperwork while I was still in New Hampshire--I've been here only a week and after one failed DMV trip, I have Maryland plates on my car after 1.5 hour wait. So, the above image is not my actual plate number, but it is what the plate itself looks like. This is the new Maryland design and I actually think it's kinda ugly. Sorry to all native MDers out there... I'd love to know what that building is supposed to be. I really did want the old plate (middle) though; I think it looks "governmental" not to mention classy. Thoughts?

Oh well, it's "just a plate that no one looks at" according to my sister and she's completely right about that. But the thing is that I've had Texas plates for over 4 years now--the same plate. The same simple plate. I feel like it's got a simple design--I think I like it when none of the letters/numbers are obstructed with nonsense. I lived in New Hampshire for two years and didn't even register it there! But that was for financial reasons and sheer stubborn behavior (I didn't want to pay over $300 for plates, but low and behold, I'm paying exactly that now). I also wonder if the NH plate design had something to do with it too. The "live free or die" part was nice--I do like that motto. I don't know... this all feels like a bigger deal that what it really is, so lets move on.

Thesis Update: I am working on the final story revision! It's a story that I did last semester so this is the first big edit on it. It's actually a little too fresh still. I do most of my editing 6 months after the first draft is finished and workshopped. After I finish this revision I'm going to look at my table of contents closely again, try to get it all laid out (how the heck do you do that with an unlinked short story collection anyway?!), and then take it to Staples for one big print out. I want to do one more edit (hopefully line edit stuff) before I mail it to my thesis advisers on Sept. 1. I hope to fly up to NH to meet with them sometime in October (or late September), get their comments, make revisions/edits and then turn in a final draft sometime in November. I'll defend in December and read at the same time. BLAH. I'm not looking forward to public reading--the program probably should have arranged for practice opportunities for their students. Some people got to read (like at perspective student day) but those were likely the favorites. What about me, Bob? What about the little people still struggling to figure out structure and story? Are we not good enough? Haha... sigh.

I'm just glad to have a car again... to be able to drive around and see my new neighborhood and scout out potential job prospects. Jobs... that's a subject for another post entirely.

Hello Maryland

So, I made it to Maryland in one piece and nothing flew off my car and smashed into the car behind me. Overall, it was a good trip. I felt bad for my cat trapped in his carrier for so many hours; so, in solidarity I didn't eat meals in front of him and felt guilty for sneaking pretzel bits from time to time. My cat is still adjusting, but it's so nice to be in a place where I'm not trapped in one room (too bad Tri is for the meantime). Trust me, the last two years have been pretty confining.

Anyway... the drive was nice. New Jersey sucks the cash right out of your wallet though. I spent about $15 dollars on that state's toll roads. It was ridiculous. My favorite place to drive through was New York City. There's so much to look at there, and there's something romantic about that city, I think. I drove across the George Washington Bridge and that was pretty exciting. So, next step is to finish my thesis and find a job out here. I'm looking forward to getting things started again.

Moving...

...sucks. I feel exactly like this cartoon... I've got a creepy roommate who always wants to offer help. I tend to move more things when he's out of the house. I'm antisocial when he's involved... trust me when I say that the creeper-vibe is legit. [Photo plucked from this website.]

Moving is exciting for a lot of reasons (new opportunities, new people, new place), but the process (cleaning, packing, loading the car, etc) is stressful. I'd like to say that I'm never going to move again, but in reality I'll probably move several more times in my life. The next move takes me to Maryland, which I've mentioned here before. I'm excited to live near my sister (in the same house) again. I hope that I can find a good job and a social network. It's all very odd. I'm glad the next few days will be mild in temperature because I've had to give back my beautiful AC unit. I've been so spoiled the last few weeks. Anyway, I have a few brave friends coming to help me load up my little Rav4. The more things I take down stairs the more freaked out I become about what's going to fit and what may be left on the side of the road with a free sign. Hopefully it will all fit. Hopefully. Sigh.

A Tribute to Texas

So... today is my final day in Texas. Am I ready to leave? Ehhh... the heat yes, friends no, but that is to be expected. I'm taking a break from the hot heat to make one last post before I lose my internet connection, which I suppose could be any second. So... adios Tejas, you've been pretty good to me!

Goodbye 100+ heat. Goodbye tasty Mexican food. Goodbye authentic cowboys. Hello New Hampshire.

Dwindling Time

Wow... I have six days left!

I can't believe how quickly time has flown by. This past week and next have been continuously busy, which can be overwhelming at times. I'm very grateful for friends willing to help me take trash to the dumpster. Big shout out to my friend A! You rock my socks, little Hare. :)

Random Bits:

• Getting my hair done tonight. Hopefully it won't cost me an arm and a leg. Sometimes I just want to shave myself bald and wear wigs.


• Saturday evening I'm going to a dumpling party. The benefit of having a diverse graduate program way back when: Friends who can make authentic Chinese dumplings.


• I'm still a little worried that all of my belongings won't fit into my car. This weekend will be about downsizing yet again. I hope someone buys my TV.


• I just applied for another job at UNH. So far no one is interested in me. I'm "no longer under consideration" for several positions that I applied for. Scary. Oh well, I'll find something.


• CNN's Black in America last night was pretty interesting. I only watched the first hour before falling asleep (not from boredom, it was midnight) and taped the rest. Everyone, no matter their race, should probably watch it. Learn something about someone different from you -- that is my challenge for today. Here's an interesting article: Is Marriage Really for White People? I've been single for a while. I will not be single forever. Nor will I settle. So maybe I will be single forever. Hmm. Here's another interesting article that I feel a little closer to as I am biracial (second blog article). It's not so much an issue though, but my sister and I talk about it all the time. Anyway -- it's an interesting special. I sometimes can't believe that there are prejudices and stereotypes still working in our society. This saddens me to no end. You'd think after nearly 50 years (since the civil rights movement) people would get their heads on right, but they haven't. I would consider gay rights as the newest fight in our society. Why should anyone dictate who can have rights and who can't? We are all human first. Why does our race or orientation come first in some people's eyes. We may never live in complete harmony with one another, not in my lifetime. I lament this. I do love CNN. Great reporting across the board. Don't watch FOX news. It's a joke people. CNN is replaying Black in America all weekend, so look for airings in your local listings and watch. Let's communicate!


• I actually feel important in my job this week. Possibly because I'm doing my job? HAHA.


• I'm very excited to see the new X-Files movie. X-files was my first favorite television series, after that it was West Wing. I don't have one now. I have lots of little things that I watch, but nothing compares to these two programs yet. Heroes is close, but not there yet considering I didn't watch all of last season.


• Had another great story idea (not related to my own personal life). I hope that I can start writing it soon. Very soon.

Garage Sale Day 1

Holy crap... I made $700 dollars today. I have one more day of my sale... I'm totally shocked. Yard sales are definitely hard work--espcially when you spend 8 hours under the 95-degree Texas heat!

I still have a lot of stuff. I guess that's what happens when you're a pack rat.

Happy Tanya!

It's settled...

My mom is buying my dad an airplane ticket to fly back from New Hampshire on August 3. So I think that means I won't have to officially ask him to come (although I probably will!). I said a few posts back that I was going to ask him one night this week, but didn't get around to it. Why? I blame my sister. She spent the week at our parent's house and was constantly calling/texting to tell me all the crazy things Dad was doing.

The following text was upsetting: Dad's driving is making me car sick.

Really? You're going to send me such a text when you KNOW that the man will be driving with me 31 hours to New Hampshire? I guess she forgot that he was driving with me, because when I told her that her calls/texts were not making me feel better about my move, she apologized and swore she wouldn't tell me any crazy stories again.

I wonder if I can drive for 31 hours. Driving myself is the only way I'll feel remotely comfortable on the road. I'm probably imagining the worse possibly scenario for my trip with Dad--I do that sometimes. It might be a really great trip. I'm going to document it and give ya'll a play-by-play--maybe even take some video of my dad driving in the shoulder the whole way (making sure that at least one tire is on the rivets). The drive itself will be my first adventure.

In other news. My garage sale is in 9 days. I'm having a pre-sale for my friends the night before. The landlady didn't get back to me when I emailed her to make sure that it's okay. We'll see if she does.

The Roomie Search Begins

So, yesterday I put an ad up on Craig's List to announce that I'm looking for roommates (one or more). I've had two emails so far one from a guy and one from a girl. I hate potlucking when it comes to roommate situations--I had to do random roommate matches for three years in college and only ended up with 2.5 good roommates (the .5 was a cool girl, but a freeloader so she lost half a point). For some reason it's even scarier having to find a random person who lives 1965.28 miles away from me.

Wow, I'm moving nearly 2,000 miles from here ......... I guess we'll tackle this on another post.

Who knows what's going to happen as far as the roommate situation goes. I figure, as long as they don't kill me in my sleep, I can handle almost anyone and any personality. Strike that. I don't do hyper people very well. Hyper people irritate me to no end. I suppose it's because I'm generally calm and laid back. Anyway, if I end up with a horrible person I'll just move, which will be considerably easier since I won't have much and don't plan on collecting random things (DVDs and books aside) anymore. But, I'd really like to not move once I get up to NH. We'll see.

The person I talked to today is looking for a place in Portsmouth. She told me Dover, where I've been daydreaming my self to live, has the nickname "Dirty Dover". Dirty Dover!?!?! No one told me this when I was up there! Makes me wonder what else was left out. I still like Dover though--a little dirtiness doesn't hurt anyone! She sorta made me curious about Portsmouth, but it might be a little naive to base my living decision on the fact that the city has cobblestone sidewalks. Cobblestones! Come on... who agrees with me... something about that sounds immensely quaint and homey.

Okay, I won't be seduced by the cobblestones.

Anyway, I guess maybe I'll keep my eyes open and my intuition up as far as the roommate situation goes. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I'll find a decent person to live with up there.

Side note: I said that I wouldn't care about living with a guy, but I do have my reservations. The last time I lived with a guy was back at my parents house when I suffered sharing a bathroom with my little brother who tinkled all over the seat, coughed up phlegm and left globs sitting in the sink for me to find later, and never hung up towels. I may stick to female roomies if I only live with one other person. We'll see.

The Great Debate

I have a dilemma.

My dad has mentioned about five or six times that if I want him too, he'll drive up to New Hampshire with me at the end of July. Just me, him, Tri, and the essentials that I'll pack into my car.

He says the same thing: "You know... if you want me to, I can drive up there with you. Just let me know a few weeks beforehand." (He also repeats the same thing at least twice in our conversation.)

My dilemma: I'm torn with what I want to do.

1) Drive solo and have a cross country adventure. Just me, my gato, and the open road.
2) Drive with dad and get in some father-daughter time.

What I want and what I should do are very clear to me: I want to go alone, but I should go with my dad.

Why should I go with my dad? Time is of the essence--may not get another cross-country road trip with him (because I don't plan on making such a trip ever again). But if I were to make a pros and cons list, the cons (all related to his driving) make me want to take a solo mission. I never minded dad's driving when I didn't have a licence. Now, he looks at everything but the road, hugs the shoulder and runs over the rivets put there for sleepy drivers (because he likes the sound), and will side-seat drive every moment he can. Would it be nice to have the company? Sure! Will it make for a pleasant 31-hour drive? The verdict is still out.

So, what to do, what to do. Weigh in my friends... I need help. Or have I already made up my mind?

Update: I'm going to ask my Dad to go with me. It's the right thing to do, and after my sister told me that he was looking forward to spending time with me, how can I deny it.

Gettin' Ready for The Big Sale

So... I made some much needed progress today on preparing for my garage sale in 3 weeks.

E and I put prices on about a three-fourths of the things I want/need to get rid of. I still need to do the kitchen and another sweep of my bedroom and closets and then come June 21st I'll be ready.

Just to show everyone in the world the last of my pack-rat days, please take a look at the picture below. :c This is only a small portion--the rest wouldn't fit.

The sale of my stuff will probably pay for my gas for my trip... maybe.