busy bee!

I went from 0 to 100 miles an hour and I love it.

Well, on most days. I'll admit I'm not used to getting up at 6:30 in the morning and coming home at 7pm. And gone are the days where I could avoid the biggest highway in NJ (or on the East Coast for that matter). In the morning, my new routine goes like this:

I wake up about a half hour before I'm supposed to (I inherited that from my father. You think about what time you want to wake up, and you do...trouble is, you're always nervous about oversleeping, so you end up having 5:30am on your mind)

My wonderpup snoozes in his crate beside my bed as I take a shower and get dressed. (He's SO good that way) Then, I announce "Time to get up!" to wonderpup and he emereges from his blanket and looks up sleeply...until he realizes that it's...MORNING HORAYYYYYYY and zooms out of his crate at about 50 miles an hour (usually bolting passed my hamper and stealing a sock as he does so) We go on a short walk to do his stuff, and I get pup's breakfast and fresh water set out. I make my own lunch...and then it gets tricky. You see, I guess wonderpup didn't expect his routine to change...or "mom" to be gone during the day. He's taken to following me (more like rushing to me then wrapping two of his paws around my legs) to the front door and looking out our window (paws aganist the glass, sad face, and whining) as I walk to my car.

It kills me.

My stepmother pointed out that as soon as I leave, he walks away from the window and plays with his toys contently. Go figure.

At work, I've met a wonderful group of people who meet up for breakfast and it's been nice to join them. I'll admit my job itself is hectic, but I enjoy being busy. I leave work at 6 and would be home by 6:30 if it weren't for the three construction zones that I have to drive through and bumper to bumper traffic. When I move, I want the area to be spacious and quiet. Stepmom doesn't think it's a good idea ("That's so boring and depressing!" she exclaims) but it's how I grew up and it's what I want. I'll admit, I'm surprised it's what I want, considering that when I was a kid, I hated the midwest. I guess it takes stepping back and truly looking at the positive aspects as an adult to appreciate it.

My friends have noticed that I haven't talked to them much in about two weeks. Sorry guys, I've been passing out at about 9:30.

I guess I'm an old lady now. ;)

Times a' changin.

Well, it's happened. I've found a job! I'm incredibly excited and grateful to have found work in such a tough economy. (especially around here) It is a temp job, but one that should suit me well. I will be working at an educational service and start next week. I think this will help me open a few doors. My dad and stepmom are putting up the house for sale in the spring, so apartment hunting is looking more and more imminent. And I'll admit it, a little scary. If you're starting pay is $12 an hour, and you work FT, it's possible to budget and live on your own right? Right.

Meanwhile, a group of my girlfriends (Amanda, Christine) and I threw a bachelorette party for my best friend (who's getting married on Halloween) a couple of weeks ago. It went great without a hitch. When I say "party" I really mean "get together". You see, my buddy is a quiet girl (in fact, we all are) and decided that a gathering with a small group of us was more her style.

4 of us bridesmaids, (I'm the maid of honor) got a hotel room and split the cost. Then we went to dinner.

According to casino rules, you're not allowed to take pictures inside. (Who knew? I didn't.) So the pictures that I took inside (before I knew of the rule) cannot be posted here. We chose Harrah's because the buffets are cheap but REALLY good. $15 a plate for all you can eat. By eating, I mean lobster. (It's usually $30, but Amanda had a discount) My friends were amused during dinner because a guy approached me and asked what grade I was in. Being in your twenties, getting carded, and asked that question IS pretty amusing. :) Afterwords, some of us played the slots. I love watching my friends gamble more then I like gambling myself. I loved just hanging out with them. We may have not be able to take group shots of us inside, but Amanda did get an awesome shot of our bird friend near the car.

We went to the outlets by Atlantic City after that. Now, let me explain something about AC. You do not want to be there after dark. Actually, you probably shouldn't be there at all. But they do have great outlet stores. Erin (our bride to be) has been talking about getting a Coach purse since forever. So of course we hit there first.

Erin got a messinger bag with purple trim. I shall remain jealous. ;) Walking past the Disney store, we all began reminiscing about our childhoods and recalling who are favorite Disney characters were. Mine was Belle. I always enjoyed a good book as a kid, (even going as far as reading while walking, just like Belle) Once inside, we made a beeline for the Halloween costumes.

"Bet you could wear this." Erin tells me, smiling as she holds up "Belle's" dress meant for a ten year old girl.
"Oh no," I replied.
The girls continue giggling.
"No. WAY." I said laughing.

I tried on the dress. It slipped right over my head. Although it was a little tight in the...um...chest area, I was stunned by how well it fit me. The girls almost fell over laughing. "Seriously, THIS was my highlight of the night," Erin gasped, wiping away tears.

After becoming tired of shopping (no I didn't get the Belle dress, much to Erin's disappointment) we went back to the hotel. We had brought a chocolate fountain with us and strawberries, rice krispie treats and various other things for dipping.

After that, we played wedding games, chatted and watched movies well into the night, before finally turning in at 2am and going to lunch the next day.

My life is awesome. I have the best friends. It's all you could ever ask for.