A dash of inspiration: Day One

Hello there.

I've been feeling a bit uninspired, which I blame entirely on not working nor reading and subsequently letting my brain turn to mush.  I do want to stay active here, so I had to go out and find a reason to.  Plus, you know, I like lists and challenges.

I stumbled upon this and thought it was a fun and easy 15-day posting schedule.  So here I go, Day One: Introduce yourself; list your likes and dislikes.

I'm Rebecca!  I'm 23, just moved to Austin to attend library school and live with my boyfriend Ed and our wonder puppy Gus.

I like lists, organizational tools, staying inside to watch movies when it's raining, swimming, fall clothes, dressing for success, reading books that make me feel smug, chai tea lattes, thrift shopping, receiving mail, leisurely bike rides, and hosting parties.

I dislike tardiness, clutter, people who talk in the movie theater, American politics, being inappropriately dressed for a specific ocassion, and the hours of 11-5 in central Texas summers.

Whew

Ok we're moved in.

Mostly, at least.  We have a few more paintings that need to be hung and boxes everywhere, but its starting to feel more comfortable.  And at least our surrounding neighborhood is familiar, though we've yet to even SEE any neighbors!

Sadly because of the heat, laziness, and millions of things to do around the apartment, we haven't ventured into downtown much.  We did go to the flagship Whole Foods (which, let me tell you, is the Mall of America of Whole Foods) and to the Farmer's Market, where meat was abundant.  We need to get out more, that's for sure.  I don't think it'll start feeling like home until we navigate around and see the sights, so to speak.  Even Gus had adjusted to the heat and still loves being outside granted he can lay on the tile and pant under the ceiling fan for an hour afterwards.

I'm going on campus today and I AM SCARED!  University of Michigan was a big school, for sure, but there are really only a few huge buildings, all of which are close together.  University of Texas on the other hand, looks like this:

All those brown squares?  Oh, those are buildings.  LIKE FIFTY BUILDINGS.  And campus spans from 27th to 16th street.  Eleven city blocks.  We're not in Kansas anymore.  Its so big whoever designed the map thought it easier to divide it into sections rather than label each individual building.  If I wander to your house sweating like a pig, holding a map, and asking where the library is, please give me some water and help me find my way back home.

I obviously have too much time on my hands

Ed doesn't read this blog so I think this is a safe space to make a confession: I seriously CANNOT stay away from wedding blogs.  There are so many!  And they all look so cute and easy and lovely!  I used to think that the reason our divorce rate is so high is because women are programmed to value the wedding more than the marriage.  I still think so, for the most part.  But look at me, I want to be pretty and have a big party and get one million gifts! (If I were really feeling vulnerable, I might confess that it's possible I've scoped out some dresses on J.Crew.  IF.)

(We need a blender, new towels, a slow-cooker, nicer bedding, new dishes and silverware, a Wii, and we each have an extensive Amazon wish-list.  You know, if you want to buy something preemptively.)

(I should also mention, MOM, that Ed and I are not engaged.  Not even close.  He told me that he wanted to wait until I at least get out of grad school, which makes sense because we might be more settled both career-wise and financially then.  Also, I think he needs some time to cool down from overseeing me on that J.Crew website.  I'm not sure he believes that white maxi dresses are "just in this summer".)

Obstacles to productivity

Oh man have I been absent for all the right reasons.  Namely, being funemployed.  I love when people ask if I want to hang out and when I reply in the affirmative and they ask, "when's good?" I can say in all sincerity "literally ANY TIME."  I've been sleeping in a lot, going to the gym on occasion, reading fiction, thumbing through back issues of "Real Simple" magazine.  I realized recently that the targeted demographic for that magazine is like white, 35-45 year olds with children.  I am so FAR outside of that demographic that I'm surprised I love it so much.  It's filled with design ideas, clever ways to reuse old items, delcious easy healthy recipes, what's not to love?  When I discovered that I'm too young, single, and voluntarily infertile to be targeted as a reader, I felt similarly to when I knew I was too old for "Seventeen Magazine" when I was like 12.  DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO READ, MAGAZINE INDUSTRY.

Anyway, I've been doing a pretty good job at checking off the ole moving to-do list and was all geared up to pack a bunch of stuff this morning when two things stood in my way.  1) We had a small get-together with Ed's friends last night and it was either the 3rd Irish Car Bomb or that last glass of wine that made it impossible to wake up before 11am.  And 2) when Ed was cleaning out the office closet, he found his old Nintendo 64 console with MarioKart and well, we spent the next hour and a half fairly distracted.

I have to get on the ball the next couple of days because this week is the busiest week ever.  Like, no one should be this busy before they, you know, MOVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.  Ed's dad's birthday, a wedding reception across the state, picking up and loading the truck, and saying our last good-byes to the friends still in Michigan. 

Ok, before round 2 of who knows of saying good-bye begins with dinner and drinks with Ed's former roommate and dear friend, I must tackle a few boxes.  I'll leave you with some pictures of our 4th of July, water skiing on the Detroit river.

Funemployment

Last day of work last day of work last day of work last day of work last day of work LAST DAY OF WORK!

I'm telling people I have "mixed feelings," but really I'm just FUCKING EXCITED.

I'm sure the sentimentality and nostalgia will come later, but today?  Today is good.