Other crap that's on my mind.

A website about things you probably don't care about, but I do so shove it.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Let the plane rides begin.

I'm waking up at 4am tomorrow so I can be in the air by 6. After going over the clouds and through the rain, I'll be landing into sunny, warm and humid Florida. Ahhh, Florida, where I don't have to work or wake up early (even though I will). Where I can lay out for hours, then go inside because I actually get sick of the sun. Where I can feel the sand in my hair and look out into the water, but not actually go in it because didn't you know there are SHARKS in there! Where I can go to one of my favorite places in the entire world - Robert is Here - and get the best smoothie and stock up on their homemade honey and pet their animals. Where I can go to the Everglades and be a stone's throw away (if not closer) to hundreds of alligators. Where I can see my sister when she's not USING ALL CAPS ON EMAIL and we can just be "normal" with eachother. Where I can hold my mom's hand and sneak a cigarette at night. Where I can cook for her and pet her cats and help her figure out money. Where I can introduce her to the library. Where I can see my last remaining high school friend and my other dear friend, coming all the way from Boston via Spain, just to lay out and bullshit and most likely talk about sex. Where I can read 2 books in a week and get my fill of People magazine. Where I can lay in bed with my mom and do the crossword puzzle. Where either my sister or mom actually beat me in a game of Scrabble or Backgammon (I can still school their asses in Gin though). Where I fear for just a second that I could bump into my dad. Where I get to see my nephew, ALL GROWN UP, before he makes the huge leap to adulthood/college. Where I'll go for a run IN SHORTS. Where I'll revert back to Florida's temperatures and find myself wearing a winter coat in the 65 degree nights, by day 3. Where I'll spend Christmas Eve eating meatloaf and raw mashed potatoes - and that will be okay. Where, on at least one night, I'll have spaghetti with ketchup. Where I'll avoid the internet as much as humanly possible, unless it's to check Ravelry or farming opportunities or movie times. Where I'll watch so much TV that I'll turn into an Orange County Housewife and start screaming at my mom for not getting plastic surgery with me. Where I'll do nothing, but get a tan, wander the streets filled with people over 60 and hopefully get a few laughs in with family and friends.

Till next year gang. I love you all.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Florida can't come soon enough.

Blogging about work be damned. Oh, how I wish I could love something like I used to - it's quite amazing how just one year of feeling like you've done awesome things can make every other year feel totally inadequate.

Oh, how I wish my stupid fucking loan was paid off so I can be free to do what I want right this very second.

Oh, how I wish I could be laying out with my Mom right now.

Two days from today I will think of nothing but what magazine I should read, which smoothie I should get at Robert is Here and when's the right time to turn over so I can get the equal amount of tan on both sides of my body.

Oh, how I wish Thursday was today. It can't come any faster, huh?

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Monday, December 21, 2009

One thing that bothers me about the rain...

I don't mind the rain. What I do mind is when people walk with their umbrellas under awnings - therefore taking up the precious area where there is no rain. So instead of actually using your umbrella to deflect rain, you stupid people are using it to deflect my eyes.

I hate you people.

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

a girl. a farm. a dream.

I've officially hit the teens in my student loan. Right now I'm $18,XXX in debt and in less than 13 months I'll owe NOTHING to NO ONE!

So then what? Because I'm not currently being as creative as I hoped this career would take me, I've done what every Arliss has done: think too much. Being debt-free means I could really consider buying a house or save up more for a grand vacation or quit everything, start all over and live on a farm.

I think I'm leaning towards (c)

For awhile now, it's all I can think about (okay, I also think about the typical girl dreams of owning a vintage store or having a B&B) but this farm thing seems to be the one dream I'm most fascinated about. I think, maybe because it's actual work. Like hard work. Like the opposite of what I do now. I'd have to wake up earlier than my normal 5am. I'd have to pull at things and tend to things and convince people to buy things from me. I'd have to do a lot and most likely I'll be more tired than ever. And I'd make a lot less money. But I think I could be ready for all of that.

So I keep telling myself, I'm going to try it out first. If I like it, then I'll keep try it in other places. I'll meet people, make connections and figure out the next steps. If I don't like it, then I'll have to do something else. But it'll have to different than what it is now. Or else.

I think I would love to start a new blog all about this whole farming thing. I could post my findings up until my actual apprenticeship, and then when I start living and learning I'd post daily commentary about that too. That could help me figure out if I actually want to make this huge leap, and also let my mom know I'm still alive whilst living in some island on Hawaii (where I'll be going for my internship).

Now, if only I could get these 13 months to hurry up already. I'm getting kinda impatient.

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Friday, December 11, 2009

The things I want: 2009 edition

Tonight is the 1st night that us Jews light a candle, say some prayer and open up our first gift - which will most likely not be of any use to us. That's just how we do things.

So instead of guessing what I want, or thinking I want yarn and you end up at Joann's scratching your head or just give up and get me a gift card let me just tell you. DON'T DO ANY OF THAT. I guarantee you, if you don't refer to my amazon wishlist, or the list I have below I WON'T LIKE IT. Sure, I'll say thanks and I'll appreciate the shit out of it. But I'll go home and ask Dominic, "What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?" And I'll appreciate your gift so much as it sits unused in my closet, until someone's birthday comes along and I'll still appreciate it as I pass it on to them - so they can appreciate it too.

Or I'll just give it to goodwill. And appreciate that it's someplace else, not cluttering up my house.

That's the lesson for today. If you ever want to give me something, look my name up on amazon or click on the links below. Otherwise you just spent $15 on giving one of my friends a gift. But I'll appreciate it! I promise!

With that said, here are the highlights of WHAT YOU SHOULD GIVE ME for hanukkah, my 31st birthday or any old day you're feeling like you want to give me something:

-This apple charm is the coolest thing I've ever seen. Sure, I don't wear jewelry and sure I don't want to become one of those people who love apples so they must display their love all over their house with apple drawings and apple pillows and apple jewelry, but this charm is something I really kinda want.

-I LOVE this blanket. It seems like the kind of blanket that you curl up by the fire with, in a cabin, in the middle of the woods, near Mount Rainier. It's awesome and I want it for keeps. Get it for me!

-I'm actually trying to get rid of the books in the house. We have lots and they just sit there. If I read it once, then I'm giving it away - unless it's hardback, a cookbook, signed or the slight possibility I might actually read it again. But some books I still want. Like this one about gardening in the NW and this one about finding cures in your kitchen cabinets. Please get these for me!

-I enjoy my bathroom. It's big. Practically as big as our bedroom. Seriously. And yet, we have no radio in there. That's why I want this. And yes, I'll take it in bright green.

-As far as exercising goes, I really love anything by Shiva Rea, but I've been caught by the Jillian Michaels bug and would happily sweat my ass off to her yelling at me.

-I hate cards with words in them, and anything that Bartells (your Walgreens) carries. But give me a blank card with something snarky on the front, and you'll be my BFF.

-I'm on a plane at least 4 times a year. So I need to rest comfortably. So I need this.

-I've put this top up on my Things I Want every year for 3 years now. Still haven't gotten it. Not holding my breath.

-Okay, and if you did want to get me gift cards to anywhere, then you should get them at Anthropologie, Hot House Spa, Churchmouse Yarn and Tea, Spa Blix, REI, DeLaurenti, Elliott Bay Books, the Dandelion Botanical Company or shocker of all shockers, AMAZON!

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Friday, December 04, 2009

Question of the day

Why isn't there a movie called Montage? The storyline could just be 2-hours of montages that show friends/happy times/fighting/getting back together/and of course a couple skipping in a park, laughing at some joke we'll never hear because the whole flick will have a 70s yacht rock soundtrack.

Either that or a movie that just shows all the actors and actresses that have died this year. Just don't put in any composers or screenwriters, because I never know who they are and they fuck up the rhythm.

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Thursday, December 03, 2009

Step 1: WRITE IT DOWN STUPID

Step 1 in dealing with your money and actually understanding it and realizing it's value is kinda a crazy OCD monontous step, but it's really handy. All you have to do is keep track, starting right now, of every single penny you spend. Steal a notepad from work and write down the following:

Today's Date: December 3
The item you spent money on: Rent/Latte/Card for Mom
The category: Living expense/Everyday expense/Gift
How much it cost: $1650/$4.00 (including tip)/$3.25

Now do that every single fucking day. Seriously. Did you just give a bum a buck? Write it down. Did you lend a friend some lunch money. WRITE IT DOWN. I don't care that it's holiday season. Every month there's an excuse to spend money. So don't consider December any different than March. Just WRITE IT ALL DOWN.

When you're done writing everything down from December 3rd to January 3rd, you can move on to step 2.

When I did this, about 2 years ago, not only did it help me realize where my money goes (no where at the moment - cause personally I just don't spend a lot on actual things or lattes) but when I did spend money I was constantly reminded that I would have to write it down. Sometimes that actually stopped me from buying that thing, because writing it down meant it was affecting everything for that month. So, in theory, for now because most people can't remember where their keys are let alone to write down what they pay for - I'm just suggesting a month. Keep that stolen notepad with you wherever you go. Because if you want a retirement, if you want to have that fancy house, if you want your kids to go to college or if you simple want to go on vacation that isn't to your parents house - then for the love of every penny in the world - WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU SPEND.

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Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Why aren’t you people doing anything?

I have A LOT of friends and family that complain or hope that one day their money issues will just disappear. I wish they knew there’s such an easy way to figure things out. I wish they would let me help them. I would. I wouldn’t even ask for anything. Okay, maybe if they really wanted to get me something I’d show them my amazon wishlist (the only things I ever want as gifts are things from this list, otherwise I never use your gift and you’ve just wasted $15 at Target – you all have been warned). But really I just want every one in my life to feel a lot less worried and a lot more secured.

Today, I asked my mom if she knew how much she spends a month. She told me a number and then I asked if she could break it down. The second she said she spends $100 a week on her twinkies, steaks and milk I knew something was wrong. She wasn’t really keeping track, every single day, of what she was spending. She was estimating. It’s okay. We all do it. Heck, some of us don’t even estimate. Some of us just blindly go through life spending money on shoes and cars and yogurt and just know that we have a wad of cash on the other side.

I want to shake you people! I especially want to shake the people who complain. And then I want to shake, slap and hurt the people that tell me all too often, “I really need to do this 401k/IRA/savings thing – I keep meaning to, but then I take a nap instead.”

WHAT THE FUCK?!

Dudes, you can friggin’ do this. I’m not saying you’re going to magically get rich tonight by saving and putting your money in the right accounts. But you’ll be getting there. You’ll realize you don’t need all that cash in your checking account. It’s just sitting there doing nothing for you. You’ll realize you could be getting money for doing NOTHING AT ALL. And all it takes is some man power. Those hours you spend at work fucking bored to tears? Open a friggin’ ING account instead. That night you watched something totally useless on TV? You could’ve organized your accounts so you never have to wonder where you put that information again. It takes time, but it’s so worth it.

So if you want my help, I will help you. I’m offering free (or gifted :-) services to you folks. I’m giving you my valuable friggin’ time. Why? Because I’ve heard ALL the excuses and frankly I’m sick of them. I want people to stop telling me they can’t do this or that. If they need me to do it for them just so I can stop listening to them talk about “should’ve/would’ve/could’ve” then please for the love of god, email me, call me – I will help you with this.

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