Wednesday, April 30, 2008

i miss the sounds the crackheads make

so, in an effort to not go completely broke,
i sold my directv stock.
i didn't have much invested in the company anyways...
but it will help me get by a little bit longer while my job search continues.

i have "orientation" for RGIS tomorrow in the valley at 1:30.
i guess orientation is a new word for interview?
i always thought interview came before orientation...
we'll see what's up with that.
if i decide to work for them, hopefully they can work around my already full schedule.

i finally got my partylite starter show submitted...
so that's a little bit of a sigh of relief.
the ordering system really hated steph's order...
so it took a little figuring out... and it still wasn't completely right.
but it's as close as it's gonna get.

i'm supposed to go out tonight for cristie's bday party.
don't have jackshit for money to spend so i will join the 'chug it in the bathroom' crowd tonight.

the seagulls here really bother me sometimes.
a lot of times, they sound like crying children to me.
and i don't know of anyone that likes that sound.

sometimes i miss the sounds the crackheads make though.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

stripper pole

since there are no aldis or save-a-lots out here..
i have been subjected to paying high prices for groceries.
but i found out about grocery outlet not long ago.
i bought some food there last week.
it's set up like a save-a-lot, it offered generic food and name brand at discount prices.
i can not even express how HAPPY i was when i found out about this place.
i paid $6 for enough food to last me 3 or 4 days,
compared to $25+ i was paying at the local grocery store for food that would last me just as long.
seriously... this is the best thing that has happened in like days...
it's even better than getting my car fixed. lol

steph took me around to a couple humane societies on friday.
we played with the doggies and kitties.
but neither of us adopted.
i can't believe they want $95 to adopt a dog.
yeah, it covers all the vet shit, but still.
so adopting is a little out of naomi's budget right now.

i got my way and got to play uno friday night!
it was totally awesome... until we had to play phase 10.
jeff is officially my dog's boyfriend.
sorry steph.

i met up with april saturday night for a partylite show she was doing in the valley.
she was running late, so i helped set up and everything.
and it ended up running later than i thought it would...
but the hostess had such great guests and april also made her show just look so damn easy. lol
she even got on the stripper pole. hahah
i don't think she likes me telling everyone that....

sunday night i had my own show at my apartment.
not a great turn out... but we still had fun.
and i got to meet a neighbor of mine that i would not have otherwise met.
no one drank any champagne,
sooooo i drank it by myself later that night.

my neighbor angela and i went to the regional meeting for partylite in the valley on monday evening.
that was a lot of fun and i picked up a few good ideas.
once again, i met more nice people and angela went home with a bunch of free candles for being my guest.
which i was totally jealous about... but it's still awesome that she got so much. :)

so my neighbor also goes to the same community college that i will be attending in the fall.
she takes the bus there.
and i was curious about that, so she explained which bus she takes and all that good stuff.
so i think i will probably take the bus to and from school when i start.
it will save me money in the long run.
gas prices are just ridiculous up here.
i really can't afford to drive anymore than i have to.

i found out that i will not be getting my irs stimulus check direct deposited thanks to h&r block.
if you used a tax service and had your fees deducted from your refund,
you will be issued a paper check, regardless if your refund was direct deposited or not.
so i won't see mine until like may 23rd?
that is, if it doesn't get lost because i've switched addresses 3 times in the past month.

there is a lowe's in the valley that is hiring for a part-time receiver.
that's right up my alley.
4 hours a day (early mornings 4-8), 5 days a week.
so i applied online tonight.
i need the extra income pretty bad, but i don't want it to mess with my partylites schedule and my soon-to-be school schedule.
if they don't call me back by the weekend,
i'm gonna call them myself... because it sounds like a great position for me.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

kind of anxious

the flyer for my partylites show looks something like this:

PARTLITES

my car died in the valley sunday.
so i had aaa and give me a tow back home.
i found a guy on craigslist to fix my car for me.
he only charged me 50 bucks to fix it and i had to buy the alternator.
so it was half the price i would have paid at a shop.
it seems to be running a lot better now than what it did before it died.

since the unexpected car problems came about,
im kind of out of money.
so no more furniture purchases for awhile.
but oh well... guess i will have to settle for some floor cushions for company or maybe i'll find someone who has some ultra cheap chairs on craigslist.

i need to go in for placement testing friday morning.
if i don't do it soon,
i may not get it done at all.
kind of anxious about it because i have not done any studying at all. :\
i will need to also talk to financial aid while i am there and find out if they received any info on my student loan yet.
i got my copy of it in the mail a little while ago....
but it dunno if it has been approved or whatever.

my parents finally moved i guess.
my sister is still living in the old house though.
my parents moved to glenpool.
it's just outside of tulsa.
i wanted to get their new address to send a mother's day card.
i actually wanted to her get a card from me... unlike she did for me on my bday.
hopefully my sister can get that info for me soon.

i spent 4 miles walking around downtown this morning.
it wasn't so bad until it started raining heavily. lol
but i got to see a lot of things that i wouldn't normally see while driving.
but i should have not taken my dog with me.
i felt so bad when it started raining.
i'm lucky she didn't get sick.

anyways, i am trying to make more friends in spokane.
but i guess some people are just too busy to meet up or have no interest in making more friends.
which is kind of a shame.
so i put an ad on craigslist the other day. lol
that's how i met steph...
and i told myself i wouldn't put one up of my own,
but i did. :)
maybe something will pan out.
i'm hoping to meet some people in my apartment building even more though.
it would be nice to have some friends that live in the same building as me.

i think tomorrow i will walk down to the local coffee shop and be social for a minute. lol
maybe i could pass out some partylite flyers also.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

handicapped trailer trash lady

i've lost a little over 10 pounds since i moved to spokane.
if i knew moving to spokane would make me drop 10 pounds,
i would have done this a long time ago! ha
remember, if you sleep on the floor for 3 weeks, drink every other night and don't eat regular meals... you too can lose 10 pounds in 3 weeks.
i guess walking the dog 3-4 times a day helps.

even after getting a real bed to sleep on,
i wake up feeling achy.
i guess it's gonna take a little while to get to back to normal.

it's weird the silly things that stick in your mind, and the important things you can't remember.
like remembering the lady at the grocery store that looked at every carton of strawberries before putting a carton in her cart.
but not remember to study for my placement testing.

i guess i am feeling kind of busy and stressed the last week.
busy moving, trying to furnish my apartment on a tight budget, making and keeping friends, preparing for school, preparing for a party i am hosting next sunday, worrying that my money is running out, should probably find a job, car is acting weird...

i called mickey today.
he has to be one of my favorite people in the world.
he was telling me about a blind date he went on last week.
i don't know how his luck can be so damn bad.
i guess he ended up getting stuck with a handicapped trailer trash lady.
i told him he's just too desperate.

ended up going to another partylites show at a salon in the valley.
april was the consultant for the open house.
i need to get more training under my belt i think.
i guess it would help if i actually read the starter kit information also.

i also got my couch today.
that was a blast trying to figure out how to get it up 5 flights of stairs.
no matter how many different ways we tried,
there was no getting it into the elevator.
so needless to say, the couch is a little scratched up now.
but i'm just glad to finally have it now.
it's dark brown, not black...

DSCN8346

DSCN8345

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so now that i have my couch,
i'm laying on it...
feeling a little less stressed.
and starting to feel complete again.
it's a weird feeling that i can't accurately describe.
but it's a great feeling.

Friday, April 18, 2008

hit me up and help me out!

my dog actually seems to like the roomba (kitty) now.
i took this video of her having some fun with it.



karaoke girls gone wild:



video of my apartment:



i found my dvd player remote. yay! so i don't have to buy a new one after all.

i'm pretty much settled into the new apartment...
but i could use some decorating help.
some times my ideas aren't the best...
any takers?
hit me up and help me out!

i got a kitchen table and chairs this evening for only $10,
and they delivered them!!!!
hey, they aren't the best, but it's nothing some brown tape and a table cloth won't fix!

i really just wish the guy with the sofa would hurry up and set a time to deliver.
i guess he is waiting for a friend to use his truck...
but i want somewhere to sit!
and my apartment looks weird with no couch or chairs.

so, i have been subjected to shopping at wal-mart now.
i'm going to burn in hell.
i've shopped there twice since i moved here.
and that's 2 times too many!
but they do have some stuff that is cheaper than other places.
but remember, i hate everything wal-mart stands for!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

chug it in the bathroom

an old co-worker called me out of the blue the other night.
of course i couldn't answer the phone because i knew the call would just get cut off anyways.
so we played text tag for a while.
i was really shocked he cared enough to try to get ahold of me now that he isn't really obligated to.
you never realize sometimes that people are thinking about YOU.
i miss him a lot.
he was kind of like a big brother to me... except shorter.
we always had retarded family reunions when we got together.
and everyone would be like... 'dang, they're laughing too damn much'.
i am supposed to call him sometime this week.
he went out on a date with a lady that is in her mid thirties but looks 50.
he can never win.
he always makes me feel better about myself when i hear his stories.

allen sent me a text that said "just so you know, it sucks here since you left".
hahah i knew it!

i got someone on craigslist to sell me their roomba.
i got it for half the price i would have paid for it new.
it appears to work well.
my dog is not very fond of this little robot vacuum yet.
i thought the new carpet was white...
but it's more of a tan.... i dunno what i was thinking.

i got a haircut a couple days ago and found the leave-in hair treatment stuff by matrix that i have been searching for.
when i walked out of the salon, it snowed.

i hate how some things are just outrageously priced here in the grocery stores.
who the hell pays $5 for oatmeal?
seriously.
and nearly $4 a pound for nectarines.
jergens natural glow lotion was $7 !!!!
i'm used to getting it for like 3 or 4 bucks.
i need to find the lotion jennifer gave me. sheesh.

i also hate street parking.
if you don't make it home by like 7 o'clock, your fucked on parking.
and if you make it home at like 1 or 2 am... you may as well forget it!
i can't wait until someday i can get reserved parking.
i had to park like a block away from my apartment building the other night.

i have started to move into my new apartment.
little by little... the elevator sucks ass.
and i am starting to wonder if my new sofa will even fit down the narrow halls upstairs... and even more so into the doorway of my apartment.
my luck, it won't.
but the guy i am buying it from seems to think it'll work.
and i think i'm seriously going to need a man's help getting my big ass tv stand upstairs also.
why me?

i only have one more night of sleeping on the air mattress!
when i get to sleep in a real bed again after 2 1/2 weeks of practically sleeping on the floor,
i just won't know what to do with myself.
i've grown used to literally rolling out of bed every morning.

for the record,
steph is the only person i have met that brings a fifth of jager to a bar with her in her purse...
and then proceeds to chug it in the bathroom.
way to be!

anyways, i better stop typing now and go buy a blender!

Monday, April 14, 2008

weird and awkward

eagle vs shark is a great movie.
it's completely weird and awkward.
just the way i like it.
it stars jemaine clement from the flight of the conchords also.
i always thought he was kind of weird,
now it's certain.

i got to see my new apartment today.
and i fell in love.
its way bigger than i expected.
it's got LOTS of windows.
it has a HUGE walk in closet.
big kitchen.
nice sized bedroom.
bathroom doesn't have the same ugly tiling this studio has.
i don't care for the white carpet though.
but it's workable.
and the unit is at the end of the hall by itself.
peace and quiet.
i move in in a few days.
i think it will probably be ready wednesday.
but i'll probably wait until thursday to start moving in.

april has invited me to attend a partylite party in coeur d alene, idaho on wednesday.
it sounds like fun and hopefully i will learn some stuff.
i like to think of it as a bit of training.
so hopefully soon i can host my own partylite party. yays!

i need to get new car insurance really soon.
i am pretty sure my currently policy does not cover washington.
anyone have an insurance company that offers them a reasonable price?
farmers insurance sent me a quote via email that looked good... but they don't even have all of my info to make the quote completely accurate.

i don't think i have mentioned this before,
but i am going to actually publish my blog this year into a book.
blurb makes it pretty and inexpensive to do.
i think it would be a great thing to have...
because i have always kept journals... just not handwritten ones recently.
i would like to have my accomplishments (and failures) down on paper.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

hi, i'm poppyseed muffin today...

i'm so excited!
i just found a big 3'x4' cork board outside beside the apartment dumpster!
it's exactly what i needed to create my vision board.
i'm gonna make it my bed headboard when i get settled into the other apartment.
need to spray disinfectant on it first though.
yays!!!!!

an asian couple moved out of the building on friday.
as far as i know, the only people moving out in mid-month are the people in the apartment i am supposed to be moving into.
SO maybe i will get to move into the new apartment soon?!
i will have to talk to the apartment manager monday about it.
i hate bothering her so much about it,
but i don't know how much longer i can live in this studio.
... it's really sucking the life out of me.

i finally finished all of my financial aid/loan crap for school online thursday.
now i just need to study for the placement test.
which really should not be that hard anyways.
because it turns out i won't even be taking any math courses until the second school year,
and even then, it's just PRE-algebra.
stuff i did in middle school. lol
i'm more worried about the reading/comprehion part.

for anyone that has been to seattle or western washington for that matter,
what would you suggest seeing?
i am considering going by snoqualmie and north bend (the 2 towns twin peaks was filmed in).
has anyone been there?
i think they would be kind of boring to see....
but nonetheless, i would like to go anyhow.

went and saw prom night at the theater with my new friend steph on saturday night.
it was an awesome good time,
even though the movie sucked.
must see the 80's prom night movie soon.
i'm betting its better.

i saw a little girl (maybe 5 years old?) with a bright pink mohawk.
it was real.
it's one of the strangest things i have ever seen.
and her mother was right beside her standing in line at the grocery store.
who does that to their child's hair?
at least wait like 10 years to let them do it to their own hair.
i just found it to be a bit disturbing.

i edited another video.
jennifer, i know you don't like it when i put you in my videos...
i'm sorry... but i fall into a fit of laughter every time i watch this.
hopefully michael won't care too much either.
the video quality is pretty damn bad though...
so no one will know it's you. hah

Thursday, April 10, 2008

i don't fucking carry spare change!

mindless self indulgence is coming to spokane may 31st.
if i go, it will be my 3rd time seeing them.
every time i have seen them, it's been awesome.
how can i pass up another time???
it's only 20 bucks...
which would be the most i have ever paid to see them...
but still... only 20.

i have been a craigslist fiend.
i got the tv on monday.
i got a microwave on tuesday.
and a tv stand delivered to me today.
all i need now is a new apartment!
...and when that happens, i'll be having a brown leather sofa delivered to me from someone of craigslist.
no, not the orange vinyl one.
i changed my mind on that.
it cost too much and orange might be too bright.

i also got a couple mixing bowls and a coffee maker today at a thrift store.
now i can drink coffee and tea at home!!!!!

well, i used the last of the money on my fuel card.
i had gotten 2 fuel cards for gas to make it up here with...
and i just used the last of it.
now, i am subjected to actually pay these kinds of prices:

DSCN8326

it's official.
my air mattress is a piece of shit.
there is a hole in it somewhere.
i could probably lay on it for an hour??? before it goes flat now.
i feel very achy.
i don't want to get a real bed until i move into the new apartment.
plus, i don't think a "real" bed would even fit into this studio.

i went by the community college yesterday because i figured they had the forms i needed, instead of printing them out myself.
...but they didn't.
i got the financial aid data packet they need me to fill out...
but they had no compass testing study guides.
i would have thought they would have some sort of help.
but the lady told me what websites to go to.

i also went to the museum in my neighborhood (northwest museum of arts & culture).
there was not much at all to look at.
the buildings make you think there is a bunch to see... but not so much.
luckily i got the lady to give me the student price.

i wish i didn't live so close to downtown...
i thought it would be a good thing...
but the closest banks, post offices and libraries are downtown.
downtown requires paid parking.
i don't fucking carry spare change!
so i drive out of my way to get to essential places.

i went to april's partylite get together last night.
it was actually one of those get togethers to promote a side business project.
has anyone head of partylites?
she wants me to join her team...
but i don't see how i could do that right now because i don't really know ANYONE.
you have to host these little "parties" to sell candles.
how on earth am i supposed to have one of these said parties in a 150 sq ft studio apartment not knowing anyone?
i see it being a more likely thing once i get my bigger apartment and then i could ask some of my neighbors to attend.
one of the points of hosting the parties is to meet new people...
so i really like the concept and you don't have to pay for anything.
and all of your party food/decorations can be written off.
i dunno... i will have to talk to april more about it later.
it was fun meeting a few new people though.
and i got free dinner and drinks and a little party gift.
i just don't want to go back to working full time. :(

the new macbook hard drive came in the mail yesterday.
hopefully i will get time to switch the old one out today.
i'm not sure if i even have all of the right screwdrivers... argh.

who knew washington got warm enough to even have water parks??

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Monday, April 7, 2008

got a library card today

i noticed the other day that the squirrels up here are grey, not brown.

the kite runner is probably one of the only books made into a movie that i did not completely dislike.
i'm glad they kept some of my favorite quotes from the book in the movie.

i used the laundry room today in my building.
some random bum came in to use the bathroom.
i assumed he lived in the building since it's a secure building,
but i'm thinking he doesn't...
because he started taking a shower in the bathroom (yes there is a shower in the bathroom).
i was probably lucky that i didn't get assaulted.
although i did lose 70 cents in the vending machine in the laundry room.
i guess i didn't need those chili cheese fritos after all.

i bought something on craigslist today.
it's a year old 37" lcd tv.
it's nothing special... but it only cost me $300.
which is way less than what i would have paid for new.
no problems with it yet.
it's just way too big for this tiny studio apartment...

i don't know how much more of sleeping on an air mattress i can stand.
it's been one week now.
i've had to re-air it up around 4 times??
nothing better than finding out that you are essentially sleeping on the floor when you wake up in the morning/afternoon!

i'm going to have to put off going to seattle this weekend.
i need to focus more on studying for my placement testing.
plus i have not taken my car in for a tune-up yet...
and i just drove a 3-hour round trip to pick up that damn tv.

i also went and got a library card today.
yay me!
not that i needed to check out anything to read or anything..
but it's good to have.

i also updated my address with aaa and got some new maps and tourbooks for washington and for my trip to seattle.. whenever that is.

i went to a couple thrift stores... nothing impressive.

the boxes i sent to myself finally were delivered today.
so now i have more junk to find a place for.
but it'll be good to have my printer back to use.
i need to print some of those study guides for placement testing.
and i guess i didn't pack my remote with my dvd player.
so i'll have to buy a new remote. isn't that great? argh.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

meeting new people... with candles

somebody upstairs has a piano. wtf?
sadly, i think my old crackhead neighbors played better.
why me?!
i can't stand someone living above me.
i'm glad i will be on the top floor soon.
i don't know what they were doing upstairs today,
but it sounded like they were beating the shit out of their floor.

i ordered a new macbook hard drive online.
this one is bigger than the last one i fucked up.
and it was cheaper also.
so we'll see how that goes.
i just want to be able to download something or create a video without having to delete something first.

so i guess registration for school doesn't even start until mid-june.
i have to take my placement testing soon though.
so i need to start studying.
i haven't done any school related work in like 9 years?
so this will take up a lot of my time.
i don't want to rush this like i did my ged testing and not do the best i could.

i also got my final gas bill in the mail yesterday.
it was more than double the highest bill i have ever had.
i'm not sure how it could be unless someone broke into the house over the weekend and turned the oven on sky high and then took a lot of hot baths.
i'm not going to dispute it because it would be too much of a hassle.

i wonder how much a person gets back on their taxes if they are eligible to qualify eic?
i know you have to be at least 25 and make under 12,000 to qualify.
and since i don't think i will be working too much this year, i should qualify.

so there is this woman that lives in spokane valley that is inviting me to a party she is having wednesday.
it's one of those parties people have to sell stuff from their little side business.
so here i go again... starting over and meeting new people... with candles.

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so i have been holding off buying things until i get settled in a bigger apartment.
i have been eating off paper plates, plastic bowls and party cups.
occasionally i wash and reuse them.
my only piece of furniture is the air mattress.
i don't even have a chair.
i don't want to buy something and then not have it look right in my new space.
so i eat my meals off of paper plates while sitting on the air mattress.
...with nothing but artificial lighting.
how depressing.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

more space and more quiet

i hate this damn studio.
since the little window faces the outside walkway leading into the building,
you don't actually see sun/moonlight.
so unless you have a clock, you have no fucking idea what time it is.
this is why i continue to wake up at 10 or 11 am after going to sleep at 8pm.
i need some fucking sunlight shining in my window!!!!!!
no wonder i feel more tired than usual.

this air mattress is killing me.
so i went out and bought a feather bed and 2 feather pillows that were on sale together.
i did sleep better last night... but who knows how long that will last.

the apartment manager got ahold of me today about some more units that were going to be available.
she has me signed up for a 1 bedroom on the 5th floor.
more space and more quiet!
the unit is supposed to be available in the middle of this month.
so maybe i'll only have 10 more days in this tiny shit hole studio??

spokane's elevation is 1654 feet higher than tulsa's.
my ears are still occasionally popping... unless i am imagining things.

here's a video i found on youtube for my new city:



i should have spent more time on sfcc website.
then i would have known i have to apply online for admission first.
so i applied this morning and they sent me an email back a few hours later with my student id number.
then i had to call and make my application fee payment.
so now i just have to wait for the info in the mail on placement testing and registration.
damn, i could have done all of this shit a long time ago.
oh well.

no, i have not started looking for a new job yet.
i have only been job-free for a little over a week!
i need my time to relax and weigh my options.
brandy and i are having a kickass time sleeping all of the time right now.

does anyone know of a cheap and effective way to turn a regular bicycle into a stationary one?
i'd like to cycle inside as well as outside,
so i don't want to have to keep putting back on the front tire all of the time.
all of the equipment i have found so far that will allow you to turn your bike stationary costs a lot of money and requires removing the back wheel.
if that's the case,
i may as well go buy a stationary bike, yanno?

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

to be more "green"

so far, i really like spokane.
everyone i have encountered has been very kind.
the city seems to be more "green" than tulsa.
they have made pathways next to the streets for bicycle riders and walkers.
the speed limits are a lot lower.
gas prices are like .30 more a gallon here.
so i guess i can understand why more people are taking the bus and other forms of transportation.
i mean, there are 70 units in my building, only 10 reserved spaces.
everyone else has to park on the street ...
along with all of the other apartment buildings in the area (there are a lot).
there is no way 70 cars are parked outside.
so that means more than half the people that live here walk or take the bus.
that's incredible.
most stores encourage you to bring your own shopping bag...
and i've noticed a lot of people bringing their own.
one local grocery store even gives you .05 back for every bag you bring in and reuse!
the apartment building even has recycling bins located by the back door for the residents to use.
i was going to get some cfl bulbs today for my studio,
but when i went to check how to remove the bulbs,
the unit already has cfl bulbs!

i just can't get over how beautiful the scenery can be.
there has been several times while driving,
i just wanted to pull over and take pictures of the mountains.
i didn't think there would be so many here in town.
wrong.

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i didn't get around to going to sfcc today.
i spent too much time still unpacking, buying needed items, uploading video and pictures, and backing up my hard drive on my new simple tech external hard drive.
i also had to go pay a deposit on my electric.
it was only $40.
i had set aside $100 for it since i am new to the state...
but i guess i didn't need that much.
still unloading my car.
it takes forever when you have nowhere to put the shit.
i am trying to strategize where things should go.
i bought 2 plastic totes today so it makes it easier to unload my stuff into the totes to care in and store.
plus the totes double as tables. lol

the water here is HORRIBLE.
if you think tulsa's is bad...
no friggan way.
i don't know if it's just the building or the area in general.
i had to get a pur filter for my kitchen sink so i can drink the water.

i uploaded a video of my apartment on youtube today.



threadless.com had some shirts on sale today for $5!
i was only able to get one in my size.
but it only ended up costing me $2 plus shipping because of my discounts.
i got my other shirt in the mail the day before i moved.
so that was pretty awesome.
i love threadless.com

my 7 state trip

well, i made it to spokane okay.
around 1800 miles, and everything is still in one piece.

the trip wasn't as bad as i thought it would be.
if i had not gotten gps though,
i would probably be lost in the middle of nowhere.
kansas and eastern colorado were really boring.
i stayed the night in a hotel near estes park, colorado.
but it snowed over night...
so when i went to estes park,
i didn't see much because i didn't wanna risk going up a mountain too far on icy roads.

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i have come to the conclusion no one really lives in wyoming or montana.
billings, montana was the most lively place i had seen in about 200 miles.
oh, and there ARE speed limits in montana despite popular belief.
although, i only saw 3 police officers in my 7 state trip.
i decided to not get a hotel when i was in montana over night.
silly me, i wanted to save money.
so i froze my ass off in my car.
and then i idiotically drove in the dark during a snow storm.
i was very lucky to have not had a wreck.
i couldn't really see anything.
but i made it to another rest area okay...
where i proceeded to freeze in my car some more.
montana's elevation made my ears pop constantly though.
which was highly annoying.
the first time my ears popped,
i thought my car had died or something, because i could no longer hear it.
montana has to be the most beautiful state i have ever visited though.
and, i almost hit a coyote (thanks brook).

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the portion of idaho i drove through was nice as well.
luckily, i live close enough to montana and idaho now that i will be able to go back when i want to.
brandy was excellent through the trip.
i figured she'd be throwing up all over the place...
but she just slept a lot.

the studio is really tiny.

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but it has a kitchen and closet.
i didn't think it was going to have either.
my dwelling is right next to one of the doors to the building...
so it's kind of annoying when people slam it all of the time.
this keeps brandy barking too much.
luckily, i can move into a different apartment in about a month.
i will be counting down the days until then.
and the apartment manager didn't end up charging me a higher deposit after all and i got my first month's rent free!
so i just saved a shitload of money.
the building in pretty nice.

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and the neighborhood is to die for.
i can finally feel like i can walk or ride my bike without being assaulted.
i met a few neighbors in the neighborhood already.
they seem pretty friendly.
a lot better than those crackheads.
i walked my dog around a few blocked this morning and was not harassed once!

to see more pictures of my road trip and new city (and there ARE a lot) go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/darksidesunny/ and click through the pages.

i am considering not going back to work right away.
i have a nice stockpile of money saved... especially since the move was cheaper than expected.
i think i will go to seattle this weekend after i get my car tuned up.
but i don't know... it's just a thought.
i need to go get enrolled in school first.
see if i can get housing included in my student loan.