I'll · Learn · To · Get · By · On · The · Little · Victories

I am far beyond that point.

There also comes a point in one's life where one feels so suffocated by the restrictions of living with one's parents that one quite forgets the reasons one decided to do so in the first place.  Saving on rent?  Not having to do the hated chore of grocery shopping?  Not important anymore when compared to the sparkling vision of freedom and independence already so widely experienced by peers one's own age.  Alas, one sets goals related to money, and in the MTV/instant gratification- filled country in which we live, these goals are met with haste and impatience; thus, it makes perfect sense to live with one's parents until said goals are reached, which will undoubtedly be much faster under their roof when one considers how much money one is able to save in said situation.

This is where I find myself.

I'm not afraid of being on my own anymore.  I usually have other dinner plans and don't partake in family dinners anymore.  "Home" consists largely of my bedroom, where I can get away from nagging and persistent chit-chat.  I've already moved out in spirit, but my body keeps waking up in this house.

Not that it's all that horrible.  My family is pretty close.  We get along for the most part.  If I didn't insist on paying rent every month, my parents wouldn't think anything of it.  And yet, I continue plugging along in the progression of my dreams, knocking out small goals and waiting impatiently for the arrival of the big ones.  I'm still trying to "learn to get by on the little victories."

It's been a very long time since I've written anything.  Things worth writing about have happened, I simply haven't felt like writing about them.  So here's a brief update:


-Jason came to visit in February and we had a blast.

-Amber turned out to be a psycho and I moved back in with the parents at the end of our lease.

-I finally got fed up to the point of no return with Payless and retail in general and quit.

-Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a long surgery; she's back home recovering, doing well, and does not have to do any radiation or chemo.

-I got a new job at the YMCA admin offices in Boulder.  Been there a week- not the most stimulating work, but SO much better than retail.  And I'm actually getting this coveted experience so there's a slight chance that my next job search won't be quite so painful.  The people are fun.  Two of the guys in the billing office, which is where I am, are sort of douchbags sometimes, but they mean well and are friendly.  I won over the "scary guy" in the office, Tom.  He isn't really scary- he's just from Brooklyn and tells it how it is and has this wicked sarcastic sense of humor.  I think he's hilarious and he appreciated that in my first week I was able to make a significant contribution to productivity.  He called me "Punkin" yesterday when he was leaving.  :)  Oh, and then he said he was going to a Fermentation Seminar.  LOL!


So yeah, things are decent.  I'm not happy about being back at home, but it's saving a ton of money.  Roger is still rockin' it.

When I was in Iowa this past month, my Great Aunt Eula (whom I can't stand anyway) was trying to figure out which Anderson girl I was and asked if I'm the one in Virginia now.  "No, that's Melissa, the oldest one."  "Oh that's right.  She's older but smaller."
Yesterday at work a horrible customer distinguished me from one of my colleagues by calling her the thinner, younger one.
When I look into the mirror I don't see a fat person.  I know I could stand to lose some weight, but that isn't all I see.  Apparently the rest of the world sees me differently than I do.  It's easy for people to say that I shouldn't let other people's comments bother me, but it's also pretty easy to start to believe things that you hear repeatedly.  Just another reason why retail sucks, I guess.

Highlights:

• It snowed last night and well into the morning and it was gorgeous.
• For the first time this year, my day off corresponded with the weather and I could do the cozy day thing.
• You know how if you don't have anything to shave your legs for and you're always in a hurry in the morning, you just don't shave them?  That's how I've been for a while now, but today being an officially designated cozy day, I actually took the time to shave.  I feel quite sexy.  :)
• Wanting to max out the cozy day potential, I decided to wear bright pink loungy pants, the softest cotton tank top in the world, and my Vicky's PINK bathrobe all day.
• Amber was gone for all but a little over an hour today with school, work and a haircut and is staying at her boyfriend's tonight, so I've had PEACE AND QUIET all day long.  No slamming doors, no banging cupboards, no blaring TV, no cell phone rings every 5 minutes- just peace and quiet.  All mine.
• I might put in a movie later, but I've entertained myself all day with The Catcher in the Rye.  Yay for books instead of TV.
• I had chicken noodle soup for dinner.
• A cup of hot chocolate beckons.
• The best part: I have tomorrow off as well.   :)
  
  

"Good night everybody, I wish you all sweet dreams and no nightmares. If you’re not alone I wish that the person next to you loves you very much and hopefully for you, you feel the same for the other person, otherwise you will have a tough time falling asleep."

For the record, "The Office" is quite possibly the best show.  Ever.
Ma and I hit the road (haha!  I typed "toad!") tomorrow in the early AM.  The bad part of the whole thing is that it starts with a wedding.  Joyous, happy occasions?  Yeah, if you haven't been single for 3 FRICKIN YEARS.  Ahem.  However, Mother decided that we need not stay for the reception so I at least do not have to try to come up with 4 hours of small talk with complete strangers.  I AM EXCITED TO RETURN TO THE MIDWEST!!!!!
I was going to do an installment of That's Really All a Girl Wants to Hear before I bid you all adieu but I haven't been inspired lately, so I'll just bid you all adieu.  Adieu.

Quiz, anyone?  According to this one, I am not a high-maintenance girlfriend (granted, I was grading myself, but I think I was pretty honest).  I got a 17.
http://msn.match.com/msn/article.aspx?articleid=5026&TrackingID=516165&BannerID=541888&menuid=6&GT1=8535

Part two:
That's Really All a Girl Wants to Hear #5
I'll admit that this one was kind of one of those you-had-to-be-there incidents, but I'm still smiling about it.  Last week Cintya and I were chatting it up at work and this guy came up to the counter and asked in a VERY British accent if we had any thumbs left.  Huh?  Thongs.  Ah, got it.  I pointed him in the right direction and he returned with his treasure a few minutes later.  I told him his total and he gave me the right amount of bills but then struggled a little with the coinage.  We got it figured out and then he held up a dime and said, "Right then, what is this?"  "That's a dime."  "Right.  A dime.  And how many dimes are in a quarter?"  By this time I'm grinning like an idiot because the whole situation is just so adorable.  "Two and a half."  "Two and a half?  I've never seen one of these cut in half!"  "I'll get on that for you, okay?"  Giggling (do men giggle?  maybe not American men, but I'm pretty sure British men do): "Okay, yes, I'll watch for that.  Thank you for your help."  AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!  Nice, cute, AND British!

Part three:
And some new developments in life:
-We got a couch that has one of those hide-a-beds in it.  This means that people who come to visit now have a real place to sleep.  Hint hint...
-My temp agency romp yesterday was quite successful and I fully expect to be looking forward to starting a new job shortly after I get back from the midwest trip.
-Turns out our heater wasn't broken after all.  The forecast for the entire week leading up to last weekend predicted lows at night in the 30's, but the apartment idiots decided NOT TO TURN ON THE FURNACES!!!  WTF.  At any rate, we have heat now.
-Last week I brushed the cobwebs off my actual writing skills (which is not what I use here, in case anyone was wondering) and wrote a contract for Amber with her school because she got suspended for missing so much and had a meeting with all the head hanchos.  I asked yesterday how it went and she said they told her they could tell that she's really intelligent from the wording of the contract.  :)  After being told to get a college degree so I can actually contribute something to society, it felt good to hear that someone thinks I'm smart.  Even if they do think that Amber wrote it.
-Rusch and I are sort of planning a Tron night this weekend.  It has been far too long, dear Tron!