Well, I got lots done yesterday. Not everything I needed to, but lots done. Laundry, check. Dishes,check. RA work, check. A little relaxing (it is Saturday after all), check. Perfect thank-you present for Sarah, check. 30 page paper due Wednesday, TBA.
I was in kind of a crappy mood when I picked up Sarah (well, I did almost hit 3 people...stupid drivers). Thankfully she let me blow off the steam, and we headed down to Muskego for her friend's church's trivia night. Our team got 5th place (not as many Disney questions as I had hoped). But I did win some of the drawings. I rarely win ANYTHING so it was a real treat! I got a movie that I'm going to sell on Amazon because mine was the only ticket in the bag. I also got an iTunes gift card which Sarah and I will be using for Glee music. Also got two luggage tags for the trip and a bag of gummy bears (Sarah actually won them). I SHOULD have won girl scout cookies but didn't realize that it was my OTHER set of tickets that had won! Oh well, I didn't want the daisy-go-rounds anyway. I was in it for the thin mints.
Speaking of thin mints, I'm proud to say that I've now lost three inches off of my waist! Even my old super-tight tees are hanging a little baggier now! I'm hoping to be able to fit into a large-medium or medium-large sized clothes by the end of 12 weeks. Fingers crossed!
Anyway...after we finished up there (they raise $1,000 for scholarship and special events money, hooray!) we went back to Milwaukee to Ryan Braun's Waterfront bar and grill (he is a Brewer baseball player and it is brand new). It was a little fancy-schmancy for our jeans and t-shirts, but we didn't care. We didn't know either. Oh well. Had our drink and our conversation and left. I had asked St. Isadore for a close parking spot, which I totally got, but it was over the bridge. Sarah is scared of walking over the bridge. Hilarious to me though. Next time SHE can ask and put the stipulations in!
Well, what I didn't get done yesterday MUST get done today. Lily's asleep again. Now that her perch is cleaned from the Friday AM sick wake-up call, she's a happy girl again. I'm happy because I can finally move Artie the arthurium plant to THAT window and get my kitchen table back. Not that I eat on it anyway, but it is still nice to have!
Hugs, Christi and Lily...she's awake now! Must've known I was talking about her again. She's freakishly smart!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
AWESOME Friday
Going to Madison is like going home. I drive down my favorite streets, eat at my favorite places, and hope that I'll randomly meet up with a Bucky. I'm always in style in my favorite jeans and a clean t-shirt, although some fashion sense is also welcome. Carrie Bradshaw would never fit in though. I get this warm, fuzzy feeling inside whenever I see the capital. Most places hold special memories. I worry - will it be this awesome should I finally be able to return?
I spent much of the day at the state historical society www.wiscosninhistory.org I didn't find much for my project that was helpful. I did get to meet the guy I had been playing e-mail tag with. He was very kind (I did drop-in unannounced, of course) and got me an application. I am going to send it in on Monday. If everything goes well, I could potentially have a part-time job in my field before I even get started. It could last up to a year. Sure, I'll be commuting to Madison every week, but for the experience and networking possibilities, I don't think I could beat it! PLEASE USPS, DON'T LOSE MY APPLICATION PARCEL (like you did my college transcripts to UWM)!
For lunch I went to Charleys, my favorite sub place on State Street and had a sub and their delicious fries. Crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside, a little bit of skin left on the ends. That's a real potato there. It's like eating a little piece of heaven. I couldn't get anyone to come to lunch with me (Zondra had to work, Michelle got a last-minute call to work too), but I ended up talking with Mom on the phone the whole time. She was driving away from Madison after finishing up her meetings.
I met Becky on the Terrace at two. We actually sat inside in the Lakefront. Great table, great view of the lake. Great conversation. Man, I miss that lady. I had to go at 4:30 to pick up the car from Don's, and she had to meet another friend. Charlie needed an oil change. Is it a bad sign that when you walk into the carman's place, he asks you right away if the check engine light is on again? LOL - last month Charlie had 3 O2 sensors put in after the original died. Apparently they aren't all alike because the first two I killed off because the voltage was wrong. Thankfully I didn't need a ride again (I had to take their truck to Milwaukee last month for my interview and I couldn't park the thing!) because I could catch the free 80 bus to campus with just a little short walk. Good thing there was a free bus, because I hadn't any cash on me anyway!
Megan kindly picked me up from the Union and drove me out to Don's. I've rarely seen a line so long at their place for car pick-ups! By then I'd hit some serious rush-hour traffic, so it took a bit to get back to their place to unload the boxes. Since we were running a little later than anticipated, Matt was able to join us for dinner. We went to Bluefies out on Monroe Street. The most interesting menu I've ever seen! We had a little wait before we could get a table, so we decided to walk to the lake a couple of blocks away to kill time. I didn't realize the Arboretum was so large because that happened to be one of the trails that we found that walks all the way around the lake! We didn't pursue it though. We were too hungry. We got back just as our table was ready and ordered. It was ALL delicious. However, because we ordered an appetizer and planned on dessert, much of the main meal went home in boxes. Dessert was delicious. I had a raspberry torte-cake, Matt a cheesecake burrito, and Megan cookie dough eggrolls. Matt's strange "Wisconsin Sushi" (bacon, sausage, and all sorts of other meats rolled to look like sushi, with mashed potatoes and beer-spinach) came up "Pork sludge" on the check. Hilarious!
My favorite gas station on E. Wash closed down. They always had the cheapest gas. That's probably why they went out of business though. Now where do I go?
I am sorry to say that I didn't get to see Sarah. We had hoped to go to the Ryan Braun (baseball player) bar. She was tired and so was I so we have a raincheck. I pretty much got home, checked my e-mail, and went to bed. But what a great day!
Lots to do, including more laundry and some paper-writing.
Hugs, Christi and Lily (who ate breakfast and went back to bed!)
I spent much of the day at the state historical society www.wiscosninhistory.org I didn't find much for my project that was helpful. I did get to meet the guy I had been playing e-mail tag with. He was very kind (I did drop-in unannounced, of course) and got me an application. I am going to send it in on Monday. If everything goes well, I could potentially have a part-time job in my field before I even get started. It could last up to a year. Sure, I'll be commuting to Madison every week, but for the experience and networking possibilities, I don't think I could beat it! PLEASE USPS, DON'T LOSE MY APPLICATION PARCEL (like you did my college transcripts to UWM)!
For lunch I went to Charleys, my favorite sub place on State Street and had a sub and their delicious fries. Crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside, a little bit of skin left on the ends. That's a real potato there. It's like eating a little piece of heaven. I couldn't get anyone to come to lunch with me (Zondra had to work, Michelle got a last-minute call to work too), but I ended up talking with Mom on the phone the whole time. She was driving away from Madison after finishing up her meetings.
I met Becky on the Terrace at two. We actually sat inside in the Lakefront. Great table, great view of the lake. Great conversation. Man, I miss that lady. I had to go at 4:30 to pick up the car from Don's, and she had to meet another friend. Charlie needed an oil change. Is it a bad sign that when you walk into the carman's place, he asks you right away if the check engine light is on again? LOL - last month Charlie had 3 O2 sensors put in after the original died. Apparently they aren't all alike because the first two I killed off because the voltage was wrong. Thankfully I didn't need a ride again (I had to take their truck to Milwaukee last month for my interview and I couldn't park the thing!) because I could catch the free 80 bus to campus with just a little short walk. Good thing there was a free bus, because I hadn't any cash on me anyway!
Megan kindly picked me up from the Union and drove me out to Don's. I've rarely seen a line so long at their place for car pick-ups! By then I'd hit some serious rush-hour traffic, so it took a bit to get back to their place to unload the boxes. Since we were running a little later than anticipated, Matt was able to join us for dinner. We went to Bluefies out on Monroe Street. The most interesting menu I've ever seen! We had a little wait before we could get a table, so we decided to walk to the lake a couple of blocks away to kill time. I didn't realize the Arboretum was so large because that happened to be one of the trails that we found that walks all the way around the lake! We didn't pursue it though. We were too hungry. We got back just as our table was ready and ordered. It was ALL delicious. However, because we ordered an appetizer and planned on dessert, much of the main meal went home in boxes. Dessert was delicious. I had a raspberry torte-cake, Matt a cheesecake burrito, and Megan cookie dough eggrolls. Matt's strange "Wisconsin Sushi" (bacon, sausage, and all sorts of other meats rolled to look like sushi, with mashed potatoes and beer-spinach) came up "Pork sludge" on the check. Hilarious!
My favorite gas station on E. Wash closed down. They always had the cheapest gas. That's probably why they went out of business though. Now where do I go?
I am sorry to say that I didn't get to see Sarah. We had hoped to go to the Ryan Braun (baseball player) bar. She was tired and so was I so we have a raincheck. I pretty much got home, checked my e-mail, and went to bed. But what a great day!
Lots to do, including more laundry and some paper-writing.
Hugs, Christi and Lily (who ate breakfast and went back to bed!)
Friday, April 16, 2010
To Madison!
Good freakishly early morning!
I'm trying to get as much time in in Madison today as possible. And Lily was sick. So that's why I'm up so early. Heading to Madtown today - lots to do! I've got to hit the State Historical Society. Not only do I need to get some study time in, but I also hope to meet the guy who is SUPPOSED to hire me. Why? Because I'm awesome, of course! Then I get to see my old friend Becky, who I have known since College for Kids days back when I was living in Darlington. Wow. I hope that Zondra is working today so I can bug her too. I'm dropping off boxes and eating dinner with Megan. Then I'll be back to Milwaukee to hang out with Sarah. We are hoping to go to the Ryan Braun bar tonight. A busy day in store. I hope Lily doesn't have any more illness while I'm gone. I'll be doing laundry tomorrow anyway.
Well, better get going. Hugs!
Christi and Lily (asleep on my bed, which is why she wakes me up in the first place!)
I'm trying to get as much time in in Madison today as possible. And Lily was sick. So that's why I'm up so early. Heading to Madtown today - lots to do! I've got to hit the State Historical Society. Not only do I need to get some study time in, but I also hope to meet the guy who is SUPPOSED to hire me. Why? Because I'm awesome, of course! Then I get to see my old friend Becky, who I have known since College for Kids days back when I was living in Darlington. Wow. I hope that Zondra is working today so I can bug her too. I'm dropping off boxes and eating dinner with Megan. Then I'll be back to Milwaukee to hang out with Sarah. We are hoping to go to the Ryan Braun bar tonight. A busy day in store. I hope Lily doesn't have any more illness while I'm gone. I'll be doing laundry tomorrow anyway.
Well, better get going. Hugs!
Christi and Lily (asleep on my bed, which is why she wakes me up in the first place!)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Grandpa dream
Hello,
I had this weird dream a few nights ago. We were at our next family gathering in Madison. As I walk in, I see Grandpa sitting next to Gloria. He looked pre-2007 good. Gloria was talking about how we had to do something with his eye because he could see perfectly well out of it now. Yet I knew he was already dead. And he looked at me. One of those knowing looks. Although it bothered me because I knew he was dead, it was nice to know that he was still there for us.
Ok, so I think I figured out the meaning. He IS still here for us. He's watching over us with his perfect eyes now. So we'd better behave and make him proud. Somehow, its comforting.
Lots to do in order for me to do that. Hugs!
Christi and lily (playing with all the rugs in the apartment)
I had this weird dream a few nights ago. We were at our next family gathering in Madison. As I walk in, I see Grandpa sitting next to Gloria. He looked pre-2007 good. Gloria was talking about how we had to do something with his eye because he could see perfectly well out of it now. Yet I knew he was already dead. And he looked at me. One of those knowing looks. Although it bothered me because I knew he was dead, it was nice to know that he was still there for us.
Ok, so I think I figured out the meaning. He IS still here for us. He's watching over us with his perfect eyes now. So we'd better behave and make him proud. Somehow, its comforting.
Lots to do in order for me to do that. Hugs!
Christi and lily (playing with all the rugs in the apartment)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Decisions decisions
Job: to give up on the librarian internship and take another job or not...
If I gave it up, I'd need to find another job. Get health insurance. Massive task.
Apartment: to give up the search and stay or move?
If I move, do I go to the East Side (roommate required, apartment search required) or Tosa (MCHS has a historic site in need of a caretaker, cheap rent v. long commute and lose weekends) I've pretty much given up on purchasing anything because I don't have the funds. With the added debt of UWM graduate school (which would be considerably less if I had the librarian internship) I will be unable to buy a home for probably about 5-10 years. And I'd love to put down some roots somewhere soon too. Unlike many others of my age, I hate my nomadic lifestyle, bouncing from apartment to apartment every couple of years. I feel like an old lady - only one cat though!
Sigh. Too much to think about right now. I'm going to campus instead. I've got RA work to do by the boatload, Monica's dissertation defense, and a 30 page paper due next week. Ack!
Hugs,
Christi and Lily
If I gave it up, I'd need to find another job. Get health insurance. Massive task.
Apartment: to give up the search and stay or move?
If I move, do I go to the East Side (roommate required, apartment search required) or Tosa (MCHS has a historic site in need of a caretaker, cheap rent v. long commute and lose weekends) I've pretty much given up on purchasing anything because I don't have the funds. With the added debt of UWM graduate school (which would be considerably less if I had the librarian internship) I will be unable to buy a home for probably about 5-10 years. And I'd love to put down some roots somewhere soon too. Unlike many others of my age, I hate my nomadic lifestyle, bouncing from apartment to apartment every couple of years. I feel like an old lady - only one cat though!
Sigh. Too much to think about right now. I'm going to campus instead. I've got RA work to do by the boatload, Monica's dissertation defense, and a 30 page paper due next week. Ack!
Hugs,
Christi and Lily
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
UPDATE
Oh, and I was accepted to UWM with lots of financial aid in loans. I'm never going to be able to buy a house... :(
A long reply
Hello,
I'm sorry that I have not written lately. A few things have happened since my last posting.
First, I stropped seeing Stephen from eHarmony. We only went out on three dates. He's a great guy, but not the one for me. Grandma took it hard. She wants me to be happy. Although for the present I've stopped actively looking (via eHarmony), I still hope to meet a compatible guy in the near-future.
Second, I took and passed my Masters exams February 15 and 16. It was hell getting to them. It was hell getting through them. I thought I'd have an option to pick from a list of questions for my major, but I ended up having to do all of them! That worked out to my advantage in the end. My minors were awesome because I had a huge list. I didn't know which to do first! I thought that life would slow down afterward. HAHAHA.
Third, my maternal grandfather passed away March 5. He had a stroke in January and was in the nursing home, which he hated. I wanted to see him multiple times, but exams were in my way. I did get a chance to see him after those were done, but he wasn't up for so many visitors. He seemed like half of himself. I had hoped to see him alone on March 8th, but he passed away the Friday before. I took two weeks off of school in order to spend as much time with the family as possible. I miss him.
Fourth, my NZ family came back! We went to the Kalahari, Milwaukee, Madison, and otherwise spent loads of time together. It was good to have all three of them here to be with us.
Fifth, life did not slow down. I changed my official graduation date to August in order to push off my Masters essay due date. Now I can concentrate on school. However, I'm also trying to massively increase the amount of time I'm spending on RA work, family time, friend time, and CPM time. If I can, I also want to continue going to MCHS. I'm freaking out about summer jobs, fall jobs, and fall housing. Sigh. Life just got busier while I keep falling behind.
A few things to look forward to. First, the finishing of my schoolwork in early May. After my birthday, but that can't be helped :) Second, Sharon will come back to work on getting things ready for the sale. Apparently massive amounts of coins aren't the only thing Grandpa left my family. Third, I'll get to walk in the Marquette ceremony on May 23rd. Hopefully Aunt Sharon and Gloria will be able to come. Perhaps most of the family. It would be nice to celebrate with the whole family. And it'll be nice to make Grandpa proud. I look forward to leaving a graduation announcement with him. Fourth, I'll get my Grandma's hope chest (not sure how though), which maybe will bring me some luck. At the very lease it can hold some of my most precious treasures. Fifth, Matt and Megan will hopefully be moving to their new house. Although I'm not allowed to stay for long periods of time, it's nice to know that someone in the family is putting down some SERIOUS roots. Sixth, Mom's going to have a sale of her own so we can get her packed up and moved to Madison as well. Seventh, Sarah and I are still tentatively heading to Washington, D.C. We haven't heard when the sale will be because no one has contacted an auctioneer. I'm also looking forward to turning in a shorter version (perhaps several) of my Masters essay to MCHS for publication. I think that would just be awesome. I've also been trying to lose weight, for serious this time. I want to be healthier for my own good. Seeing what Grandpa went through the last few years has really frightened me into getting more exercise and watching what I eat. I am realistic enough to know that I'll never reach my "ideal" weight, but cutting off and KEEPING off a few pounds will be helpful.
Speaking of getting more RA work done, I'd best get back to my editing duties. I'll write more often. Even if there's nothing really to say. It is important to remember the past, keep my head in the present, and always look toward the future.
Hugs, Christi and Lily (sleeping on the couch)
I'm sorry that I have not written lately. A few things have happened since my last posting.
First, I stropped seeing Stephen from eHarmony. We only went out on three dates. He's a great guy, but not the one for me. Grandma took it hard. She wants me to be happy. Although for the present I've stopped actively looking (via eHarmony), I still hope to meet a compatible guy in the near-future.
Second, I took and passed my Masters exams February 15 and 16. It was hell getting to them. It was hell getting through them. I thought I'd have an option to pick from a list of questions for my major, but I ended up having to do all of them! That worked out to my advantage in the end. My minors were awesome because I had a huge list. I didn't know which to do first! I thought that life would slow down afterward. HAHAHA.
Third, my maternal grandfather passed away March 5. He had a stroke in January and was in the nursing home, which he hated. I wanted to see him multiple times, but exams were in my way. I did get a chance to see him after those were done, but he wasn't up for so many visitors. He seemed like half of himself. I had hoped to see him alone on March 8th, but he passed away the Friday before. I took two weeks off of school in order to spend as much time with the family as possible. I miss him.
Fourth, my NZ family came back! We went to the Kalahari, Milwaukee, Madison, and otherwise spent loads of time together. It was good to have all three of them here to be with us.
Fifth, life did not slow down. I changed my official graduation date to August in order to push off my Masters essay due date. Now I can concentrate on school. However, I'm also trying to massively increase the amount of time I'm spending on RA work, family time, friend time, and CPM time. If I can, I also want to continue going to MCHS. I'm freaking out about summer jobs, fall jobs, and fall housing. Sigh. Life just got busier while I keep falling behind.
A few things to look forward to. First, the finishing of my schoolwork in early May. After my birthday, but that can't be helped :) Second, Sharon will come back to work on getting things ready for the sale. Apparently massive amounts of coins aren't the only thing Grandpa left my family. Third, I'll get to walk in the Marquette ceremony on May 23rd. Hopefully Aunt Sharon and Gloria will be able to come. Perhaps most of the family. It would be nice to celebrate with the whole family. And it'll be nice to make Grandpa proud. I look forward to leaving a graduation announcement with him. Fourth, I'll get my Grandma's hope chest (not sure how though), which maybe will bring me some luck. At the very lease it can hold some of my most precious treasures. Fifth, Matt and Megan will hopefully be moving to their new house. Although I'm not allowed to stay for long periods of time, it's nice to know that someone in the family is putting down some SERIOUS roots. Sixth, Mom's going to have a sale of her own so we can get her packed up and moved to Madison as well. Seventh, Sarah and I are still tentatively heading to Washington, D.C. We haven't heard when the sale will be because no one has contacted an auctioneer. I'm also looking forward to turning in a shorter version (perhaps several) of my Masters essay to MCHS for publication. I think that would just be awesome. I've also been trying to lose weight, for serious this time. I want to be healthier for my own good. Seeing what Grandpa went through the last few years has really frightened me into getting more exercise and watching what I eat. I am realistic enough to know that I'll never reach my "ideal" weight, but cutting off and KEEPING off a few pounds will be helpful.
Speaking of getting more RA work done, I'd best get back to my editing duties. I'll write more often. Even if there's nothing really to say. It is important to remember the past, keep my head in the present, and always look toward the future.
Hugs, Christi and Lily (sleeping on the couch)
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Working for the...new semester?
Wait, I don't think that's how that line is supposed to go!
Well, a couple things happened between December and today. First of all, a new year! Welcome 2010!
Second, I went home for a couple of days. Saw Jason's basketball game, went to see Disney's Princess and the Frog with Sarah and Mom, and watched the Badgers win the Champs Sports Bowl with Dad. It was a lot of fun, but very busy!
I worked at the Mansion on the 31st for a lovely wedding. Then Sarah from Milwaukee came over to watch movies on the BATV and enjoy the new year with me. BTW - Dick Clark looked pretty good on his Rockin' New Years Eve show!
On New Years Day Sarah and I went to the Milwaukee Art Museum. We had a great time looking at all of the unique pieces and taking lots of pictures. It was awesome.
Then the unawesome part of the day occurred. After I dropped Sarah off at home, I decided to take my tree to the basement. On the bottom three stairs one of my neighbors had left a very large puddle of laundry detergent. My feet went out from under me and I fell. I had hit my shoulder pretty hard and had sprained my ankle, so Sarah took me to the hospital just to make certain that nothing had been broken. All clear. Whew! I did get a brace for the ankle which I've been wearing pretty much ever since because it does still act up on me. It doesn't like being at a 90 degree angle for a long period of time and I still can't walk too far for long. Grr....
Work on Sunday was tons of fun. Sarah kindly came in early to help me turn on all of the lights. I didn't get much rest off of my feet because the house was hopping. It didn't help that a docent decided to take a rather large group down to our off-limits basement. I had to quickly hobble down the stairs and get them out of there before anything got broken. We just got some new antiques that were not put away yet and in the roadway. Last Wednesday I was up for a quick walk to Marquette (about 7 blocks away) but found that I need to put up the ankle and rest a bit before I could make it home. So I stopped at the Union and sat in their comfy chairs and played Oregon Trail on my iPod for about twenty minutes. Somehow all three of my children were taken away by eagles - explain that one to me?!
On Saturday the family came to town to check out the last days of the Christmas lights at my mansion. I used my free pass to get the family in and walked them around personally. My mom felt bad and made up for her lack of ticket purchasing with a trip to the gift shop. LOL. From there we went to the Cheesecake Factory.
Ok, I'm not morally opposed to the Cheesecake Factory. I just happen to know that there are a lot of great restaurants in Milwaukee so I don't understand why we keep going back there. Does my mother really have to try every salmon menu item? And I seriously don't think it was funny that for MY Christmas present they got something THEY wanted - a Cheesecake Factory meal. I feel like I was cheated. At least I should've been allowed to spend it on cheesecake. Boo. Oh well, at least I could then feel like I was helping by "paying" part of the check. We wandered around a few of the Bayshore Mall stores (I like shopping, but going there makes me feel like I'm bowing to the Gods of Commerce...a little dirty). We realized that we weren't going to make the Pabst Brewery tour, so we decided to drive down to UWM instead and take a car-tour of the campus and surrounding neighborhood.
Much of UWM was built in the 1960s and 1970s, so the architecture isn't very pretty. However, the campus is nicely situated in a green area of the city and with many interesting older homes in the surrounding areas. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to be moving out of my (detergent death trap) apartment at MU next year and up into the Eastside or if I'll just stay and commute the 20mins car / 40 mins bus. Mom wants me to stay because 1) she doesn't want to move me and 2) she doesn't want to drive any farther into Milwaukee. I explained that it wouldn't be much more difficult to get to the Upper Eastside, but she doesn't seem too excited. Hmmmm.... We hit Whole Foods before heading back down to my apartment and they left.
My second bad-ankle Sunday at work was a little easier, but still too busy to sit down for long. Too bad too, because I had a date. Yes, a date with a real live and very nice guy. We went out to coffee at a local shop and talked for almost two hours. I got tired near the end, so I headed home to put my ankle up and watch the new Chuck premiere before heading to bed.
This week I'm trying to get some work done before the school year starts. Technically I only need one class to graduate, but I've decided to take two. The other is a public history course, very similar to the oens I'll take at UWM. However, each professor teaches it differently, so it'll be interesting to see how they each see public history. In the meantime, there's lots to do around here, including studying for exams and writing up transcripts.
Until I hear about UWM, I'm in limbo. Housing, summer job, and future job all depend on if I can get in and if I can find funding to pay for it. My hopes are on a internship/job at the Public Library with city benefits...if I'm accepted to the UWM Library Sciences program. I hope my visits and phone calls to the departments will help me. As for housing, I found a foreclosure that could be a great place for me. My credit score is great and everything. Too bad my little moneys now and large school debts make me look bad to the bank. He never did call back to shoot me down personally. I think I've at least earned that courtesy. I've worked hard to earn that excellent credit score...and that mountain of student loan debt! I'll have to decide soon just how much I want to move because my landlord is going to raise the rents on my place if I don't sign a lease by the end of the month. Ack!
I've linked all recent photos to this page. Please feel free to check them out!
Hugs, Christi and Lily
Well, a couple things happened between December and today. First of all, a new year! Welcome 2010!
Second, I went home for a couple of days. Saw Jason's basketball game, went to see Disney's Princess and the Frog with Sarah and Mom, and watched the Badgers win the Champs Sports Bowl with Dad. It was a lot of fun, but very busy!
I worked at the Mansion on the 31st for a lovely wedding. Then Sarah from Milwaukee came over to watch movies on the BATV and enjoy the new year with me. BTW - Dick Clark looked pretty good on his Rockin' New Years Eve show!
On New Years Day Sarah and I went to the Milwaukee Art Museum. We had a great time looking at all of the unique pieces and taking lots of pictures. It was awesome.
Then the unawesome part of the day occurred. After I dropped Sarah off at home, I decided to take my tree to the basement. On the bottom three stairs one of my neighbors had left a very large puddle of laundry detergent. My feet went out from under me and I fell. I had hit my shoulder pretty hard and had sprained my ankle, so Sarah took me to the hospital just to make certain that nothing had been broken. All clear. Whew! I did get a brace for the ankle which I've been wearing pretty much ever since because it does still act up on me. It doesn't like being at a 90 degree angle for a long period of time and I still can't walk too far for long. Grr....
Work on Sunday was tons of fun. Sarah kindly came in early to help me turn on all of the lights. I didn't get much rest off of my feet because the house was hopping. It didn't help that a docent decided to take a rather large group down to our off-limits basement. I had to quickly hobble down the stairs and get them out of there before anything got broken. We just got some new antiques that were not put away yet and in the roadway. Last Wednesday I was up for a quick walk to Marquette (about 7 blocks away) but found that I need to put up the ankle and rest a bit before I could make it home. So I stopped at the Union and sat in their comfy chairs and played Oregon Trail on my iPod for about twenty minutes. Somehow all three of my children were taken away by eagles - explain that one to me?!
On Saturday the family came to town to check out the last days of the Christmas lights at my mansion. I used my free pass to get the family in and walked them around personally. My mom felt bad and made up for her lack of ticket purchasing with a trip to the gift shop. LOL. From there we went to the Cheesecake Factory.
Ok, I'm not morally opposed to the Cheesecake Factory. I just happen to know that there are a lot of great restaurants in Milwaukee so I don't understand why we keep going back there. Does my mother really have to try every salmon menu item? And I seriously don't think it was funny that for MY Christmas present they got something THEY wanted - a Cheesecake Factory meal. I feel like I was cheated. At least I should've been allowed to spend it on cheesecake. Boo. Oh well, at least I could then feel like I was helping by "paying" part of the check. We wandered around a few of the Bayshore Mall stores (I like shopping, but going there makes me feel like I'm bowing to the Gods of Commerce...a little dirty). We realized that we weren't going to make the Pabst Brewery tour, so we decided to drive down to UWM instead and take a car-tour of the campus and surrounding neighborhood.
Much of UWM was built in the 1960s and 1970s, so the architecture isn't very pretty. However, the campus is nicely situated in a green area of the city and with many interesting older homes in the surrounding areas. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to be moving out of my (detergent death trap) apartment at MU next year and up into the Eastside or if I'll just stay and commute the 20mins car / 40 mins bus. Mom wants me to stay because 1) she doesn't want to move me and 2) she doesn't want to drive any farther into Milwaukee. I explained that it wouldn't be much more difficult to get to the Upper Eastside, but she doesn't seem too excited. Hmmmm.... We hit Whole Foods before heading back down to my apartment and they left.
My second bad-ankle Sunday at work was a little easier, but still too busy to sit down for long. Too bad too, because I had a date. Yes, a date with a real live and very nice guy. We went out to coffee at a local shop and talked for almost two hours. I got tired near the end, so I headed home to put my ankle up and watch the new Chuck premiere before heading to bed.
This week I'm trying to get some work done before the school year starts. Technically I only need one class to graduate, but I've decided to take two. The other is a public history course, very similar to the oens I'll take at UWM. However, each professor teaches it differently, so it'll be interesting to see how they each see public history. In the meantime, there's lots to do around here, including studying for exams and writing up transcripts.
Until I hear about UWM, I'm in limbo. Housing, summer job, and future job all depend on if I can get in and if I can find funding to pay for it. My hopes are on a internship/job at the Public Library with city benefits...if I'm accepted to the UWM Library Sciences program. I hope my visits and phone calls to the departments will help me. As for housing, I found a foreclosure that could be a great place for me. My credit score is great and everything. Too bad my little moneys now and large school debts make me look bad to the bank. He never did call back to shoot me down personally. I think I've at least earned that courtesy. I've worked hard to earn that excellent credit score...and that mountain of student loan debt! I'll have to decide soon just how much I want to move because my landlord is going to raise the rents on my place if I don't sign a lease by the end of the month. Ack!
I've linked all recent photos to this page. Please feel free to check them out!
Hugs, Christi and Lily
Monday, December 28, 2009
Home purchase?
Hello,
I'm trying to decide if buying a home is the right move. If I stay in Milwaukee at least three more years, perhaps it would be nice to really settle in somewhere. Although I did get an apology from my landlord over the whole accusing Lily of being the one who brought fleas into the building (btw, we are both flea-free and have been the whole time!), it really kinda turns me off of renting again. That, and the rates near UWM make it nearly impossible to live on my own. I'd either have to find a roommate to share the rent and utilities, downsize drastically, or move further out. I looked on Craigslist to check out some other alternatives. I've found two that I believe hold some promise. Both are in Riverwest, just west (and across the river) from UWM. I'd still need a roommate (or in case of the house, I'd need two) and I've got to work on getting some quotes for loan rates and insurance. However, if either/or check out, I'd really be interested in settling down sometime in the near-future...
The House:
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/reb/1527815037.html
$89000 / 3br - 606 E Locust (Milwaukee)
Date: 2009-12-28, 2:28PM CST
Great quirky 3 bedroom bungalow in Riverwest. Pottery Barn inspired living and dining room, great you as you enter the 1st floor. Lots of wide plank hardwood flooring on the 1st floor. Finished basement and master suite in attic makes every inch of this house livable. Fenced in back yard.
Mortgage Calculator
Mortgage amount: $ 90,000
Mortgage term: 25 years
Interest rate: 7 % per year
Monthly Payments: $637
If I could rent out the master suite to someone for $300-$400/mo and get the other roommate to cover utilities, I would cover $200-$300 in mortgage plus insurance and taxes.
The Duplex:
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/reo/1521293529.html
$139000 / 4br - Terrific 2/2 Duplex For Sale by Owner 614 E. Meinecke Ave (Riverwest)
Date: 2009-12-22, 12:06PM CST
Very Spacious 2/2 Duplex For Sale by Owner in Riverwest neighborhood. The upper unit has 2-BDRM and 1 full bathroom, hardwood floors throughout, 2 spacious bedrooms, fully remodeled bathroom, remodeled kitchen with new appliances, living room, seperate dining room with leaded glass china cabinets, walk-in pantry off kitchen, access to balcony and plenty of storage. The lower unit also has 2-BDRM and 1 full bathroom, newer kitchen, new appliances, hardwood floors throughout, built in china cabinets, good size living room, large dining room and large front porch. This property also has a full, walk-up attic which presents many opportunities to the creative homebuyer! Fully accessible and clean basement to use for storage, hobbies etc. Property also has a driveway for off-street parking...very rare in this neighborhood! Conveniently located on a major city bus line. This is a great opportunity for owner occupied or investor. Live upstairs and rent out the downstairs! Very strong rental history and cash flow on this property.
Mortgage Calculator
Mortgage amount: $ 140,000
Mortgage term: 25 years
Interest rate: 7 % per year
Monthly Payments: $990
If I could rent out the downstairs to someone for fair-market $700/mo (with some utilities included, like wireless internet) and get my roommate to cover utilities, I would cover $300 in mortgage plus insurance and taxes.
There are a couple positives to both properties, including location near UWM and near major buslines to get there. There also appears to be off-street parking available at both places. They are in the "good side" of Riverwest and would most likely retain their resale value. They have also had some upgrades and would be move-in ready.
Am I crazy??
On the plus side, I'm finally reunited with Lily after two full days and two half days without her. She's indicating that it is close to bedtime. Oh how I've missed her!
I went to Jason's game tonight. Although he was a bit under the weather and his team lost, it was still fun to go. I'm happy to say that although I left WAAAAAY later in the day than I intended due to a brand new cold, I made it to Argyle in record time.
Lots of love,
Christi and Lily (with sleeping Mom, Buddy, and Daisy)
I'm trying to decide if buying a home is the right move. If I stay in Milwaukee at least three more years, perhaps it would be nice to really settle in somewhere. Although I did get an apology from my landlord over the whole accusing Lily of being the one who brought fleas into the building (btw, we are both flea-free and have been the whole time!), it really kinda turns me off of renting again. That, and the rates near UWM make it nearly impossible to live on my own. I'd either have to find a roommate to share the rent and utilities, downsize drastically, or move further out. I looked on Craigslist to check out some other alternatives. I've found two that I believe hold some promise. Both are in Riverwest, just west (and across the river) from UWM. I'd still need a roommate (or in case of the house, I'd need two) and I've got to work on getting some quotes for loan rates and insurance. However, if either/or check out, I'd really be interested in settling down sometime in the near-future...
The House:
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/reb/1527815037.html
$89000 / 3br - 606 E Locust (Milwaukee)
Date: 2009-12-28, 2:28PM CST
Great quirky 3 bedroom bungalow in Riverwest. Pottery Barn inspired living and dining room, great you as you enter the 1st floor. Lots of wide plank hardwood flooring on the 1st floor. Finished basement and master suite in attic makes every inch of this house livable. Fenced in back yard.
Mortgage Calculator
Mortgage amount: $ 90,000
Mortgage term: 25 years
Interest rate: 7 % per year
Monthly Payments: $637
If I could rent out the master suite to someone for $300-$400/mo and get the other roommate to cover utilities, I would cover $200-$300 in mortgage plus insurance and taxes.
The Duplex:
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/reo/1521293529.html
$139000 / 4br - Terrific 2/2 Duplex For Sale by Owner 614 E. Meinecke Ave (Riverwest)
Date: 2009-12-22, 12:06PM CST
Very Spacious 2/2 Duplex For Sale by Owner in Riverwest neighborhood. The upper unit has 2-BDRM and 1 full bathroom, hardwood floors throughout, 2 spacious bedrooms, fully remodeled bathroom, remodeled kitchen with new appliances, living room, seperate dining room with leaded glass china cabinets, walk-in pantry off kitchen, access to balcony and plenty of storage. The lower unit also has 2-BDRM and 1 full bathroom, newer kitchen, new appliances, hardwood floors throughout, built in china cabinets, good size living room, large dining room and large front porch. This property also has a full, walk-up attic which presents many opportunities to the creative homebuyer! Fully accessible and clean basement to use for storage, hobbies etc. Property also has a driveway for off-street parking...very rare in this neighborhood! Conveniently located on a major city bus line. This is a great opportunity for owner occupied or investor. Live upstairs and rent out the downstairs! Very strong rental history and cash flow on this property.
Mortgage Calculator
Mortgage amount: $ 140,000
Mortgage term: 25 years
Interest rate: 7 % per year
Monthly Payments: $990
If I could rent out the downstairs to someone for fair-market $700/mo (with some utilities included, like wireless internet) and get my roommate to cover utilities, I would cover $300 in mortgage plus insurance and taxes.
There are a couple positives to both properties, including location near UWM and near major buslines to get there. There also appears to be off-street parking available at both places. They are in the "good side" of Riverwest and would most likely retain their resale value. They have also had some upgrades and would be move-in ready.
Am I crazy??
On the plus side, I'm finally reunited with Lily after two full days and two half days without her. She's indicating that it is close to bedtime. Oh how I've missed her!
I went to Jason's game tonight. Although he was a bit under the weather and his team lost, it was still fun to go. I'm happy to say that although I left WAAAAAY later in the day than I intended due to a brand new cold, I made it to Argyle in record time.
Lots of love,
Christi and Lily (with sleeping Mom, Buddy, and Daisy)
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!
I apologize for not writing lately. Life's been busy with the end of the semester (two ABs!) and the start of the holiday season at the Mansion. I've kept myself busy with papers, holiday preparations at home, and plenty of parties at the mansion. It has been fun to meet all of the people and hear praise about our awesome decorations. However, some were less than stellar guests, being rude to us and our house, not following house rules, asking to use our bed upstairs for *wink wink* activities, leaving straws all over the floors and glasses all over the woodwork, and even using our restored bathroom (yuck!). Grrrr....
Papers went well. Of course my printer didn't print one of them, so I had to frantically e-mail the prof and then ran to campus. Like I said, two ABs and one excellent "pass" on the pass/fail scale. Only two courses next semester along with my exams.
I'm getting my UWM application materials together. Not sure what I'm going to do if I can't get the aid together. Oh well.
I got all my purchased presents together early but was making Mom's NZ scrapbook until 2AM one morning and mixing those cookie-mix jars the day I left for home.
Yesterday (12/24) was exactly the way I wanted it to go! Well, we were later than Mom had wanted to be in Darlington, but we were able to see Grandpa and the family, open presents, and eat waaaaay too much delicious foods. Then the roads and weather held so that Matt, Megan and I could head down to Dad's side for Christmas. Again, delicious food and fun to be had until midnight. We got home around 1AM and woke Mom and the pets up to open up presents. So many wonderful gifts - I am so blessed with wonderful family! We were up until about 2:30AM doing that. We had to, because Mom said Santa wouldn't come if he thought we had too many presents! Turns out Santa DID come and we got dish soap, TP, PT, kleenex, clorox wipes, toilet bowl cleaner, and all sorts of other very practical gifts! It was AWESOME! We opened those up when we got up at about 11AM. Watched the end of "Julie and Julia" which was very good. Also watched (and quoted) "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"...ah, good times. Megan survived our family nuttiness very well - I think she's a keeper :)
I left Lily at Mom's because I plan on returning next week for a couple more days. I had to leave for Milwaukee at 2PM because I have to work this weekend at the Mansion. I will also have to be back in Milwaukee to work New Year's Eve because there is a wedding.
I am currently going through the Christmas DVDs I got. If there are any damaged ones I have to turn them back over to Mom so she can get them exchanged. So many movies, so little time! I'm trying to get the pictures up on Facebook so all can see our good times at Christmastime.
Have a wonderful Christmas day and enjoy my crazy lyrics!
Love, Christi (missing Lily terribly!)
Christi's Christmas Jingle Bells
Dashing through the rain
In a ’06 Chevrolet
O’er the road I go
White knuckles all the way
Josh Groban on the radio croons
Making my spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A driving song tonight
Oh, jingle bells, skunky smells
Highway 90/94 all the way
Oh, what fun it is to drive
In a ’06 Chevrolet
A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Lily Megan
Was crated by my side
The car was packed and loaded
There really was a lot
The gifts had all been toted
Oh what had we forgot?
Oh, jingle bells, diesel smells
Lily meowing all the way
Oh, what fun it is to drive
In a ’06 Chevrolet
And now today I go
On Christmas Day for work
I can't believe I volunteered
I really am berserk!
The car was repacked and reloaded
There should have been a tag
My new stuff had been toted
And Matt had taken my bag!
Oh, jingle bells, what's that smell?
Ice, sleet, and rain all the way
Oh, what fun it is to drive
In a ’06 Chevrolet
Jingle bells, all is well,
To Milwaukee on Christmas Day
Oh, what fun it is to drive
In a ’06 Chevrolet
Papers went well. Of course my printer didn't print one of them, so I had to frantically e-mail the prof and then ran to campus. Like I said, two ABs and one excellent "pass" on the pass/fail scale. Only two courses next semester along with my exams.
I'm getting my UWM application materials together. Not sure what I'm going to do if I can't get the aid together. Oh well.
I got all my purchased presents together early but was making Mom's NZ scrapbook until 2AM one morning and mixing those cookie-mix jars the day I left for home.
Yesterday (12/24) was exactly the way I wanted it to go! Well, we were later than Mom had wanted to be in Darlington, but we were able to see Grandpa and the family, open presents, and eat waaaaay too much delicious foods. Then the roads and weather held so that Matt, Megan and I could head down to Dad's side for Christmas. Again, delicious food and fun to be had until midnight. We got home around 1AM and woke Mom and the pets up to open up presents. So many wonderful gifts - I am so blessed with wonderful family! We were up until about 2:30AM doing that. We had to, because Mom said Santa wouldn't come if he thought we had too many presents! Turns out Santa DID come and we got dish soap, TP, PT, kleenex, clorox wipes, toilet bowl cleaner, and all sorts of other very practical gifts! It was AWESOME! We opened those up when we got up at about 11AM. Watched the end of "Julie and Julia" which was very good. Also watched (and quoted) "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"...ah, good times. Megan survived our family nuttiness very well - I think she's a keeper :)
I left Lily at Mom's because I plan on returning next week for a couple more days. I had to leave for Milwaukee at 2PM because I have to work this weekend at the Mansion. I will also have to be back in Milwaukee to work New Year's Eve because there is a wedding.
I am currently going through the Christmas DVDs I got. If there are any damaged ones I have to turn them back over to Mom so she can get them exchanged. So many movies, so little time! I'm trying to get the pictures up on Facebook so all can see our good times at Christmastime.
Have a wonderful Christmas day and enjoy my crazy lyrics!
Love, Christi (missing Lily terribly!)
Christi's Christmas Jingle Bells
Dashing through the rain
In a ’06 Chevrolet
O’er the road I go
White knuckles all the way
Josh Groban on the radio croons
Making my spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A driving song tonight
Oh, jingle bells, skunky smells
Highway 90/94 all the way
Oh, what fun it is to drive
In a ’06 Chevrolet
A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Lily Megan
Was crated by my side
The car was packed and loaded
There really was a lot
The gifts had all been toted
Oh what had we forgot?
Oh, jingle bells, diesel smells
Lily meowing all the way
Oh, what fun it is to drive
In a ’06 Chevrolet
And now today I go
On Christmas Day for work
I can't believe I volunteered
I really am berserk!
The car was repacked and reloaded
There should have been a tag
My new stuff had been toted
And Matt had taken my bag!
Oh, jingle bells, what's that smell?
Ice, sleet, and rain all the way
Oh, what fun it is to drive
In a ’06 Chevrolet
Jingle bells, all is well,
To Milwaukee on Christmas Day
Oh, what fun it is to drive
In a ’06 Chevrolet
Monday, December 07, 2009
A true Winter Wonderland
Yes, I do still believe in Santa Claus....more as a spirit of a good-souled person, like this former-neighbor of the Marquette School of Engineering Dean who came for his semi-retirement party at the Mansion last week!
After heading to Madison in perfect cool weather yesterday morning, it was a wake-up call to drive back this morning in snowy, slippery conditions.
I got up extra early on accident. I thought we were meeting at 11AM, so I wanted to head out early in order to hit Macy's for my Santa letter and perhaps a slice of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake for Matt and Megan to thank them for letting me stay over that night. Yes, I did send a letter to Santa...mostly because Macy's donates $1 for each letter to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Ok, a little because I hope some of the magic that flies around this time of year might bring me what I wished for this Christmastime. Anyway, I enjoyed wandering around Macy's, my first time ever. What can I say, I've been deprived of couture for a very long time. I think there were only pieces from three collections that could be worn everyday with jeans. The rest were very nice and very very expensive. I bought a couple of angel ornaments on 40% off under $10 to commemorate my visit. Seriously, who pays over two hundred dollars on a piece of clothing they can only wear a couple of times a year??!!
I asked Matt to smile, but when I looked at the camera screen I saw how it turned out. No wonder he didn't hide his face like he normally does!
Anyway, I made it to Madison without completely running out of gas. $2.53 in Madison vs. $2.59 any where else...I know where I'm going! Megan and I went to meet Mom out at Half Price on the westside while Matt took a shower. Found lots of cheaper books for Megan's kids toys drive. Then we all headed over to Pancake Cafe. I had the first burger I've eaten in probably a month. I've really tried to cut down on such things since my blood pressure started to rise. Mmmmmm...burgery goodness! We had a great time for a couple of hours, discussing our strange Christmas traditions and and the future beyond that. We headed to Target so Mom could assist Santa in shopping for practical items for us. We said good-bye to Mom and headed back to Matt and Megan's downtown apartment to drop off Matt's car.
It gets dark so early these days! We were able to get out and enjoy the Rotary Lights show before the concert gates opened. We had floor standing space, and got there so early that we had "second row" spaces....you know, if there had been an official row system, we would've been that close! Lots of great pics and fantastic music from the Zac Brown Band and their three musical guests. Lots of funny songs and stories too! Got home late, went to bed quickly, and woke up to a few inches of snow.
Matt and Megan and their concert tickets ready to go!
I left their place at about 7:30AM...a few minutes and two Pop Tarts after I woke up! Charlie doesn't do well on snow. I am thankful that the other drivers were observant and that we only hit half of the red lights on E. Washington. I did almost slide into another car near Red Letter News as the light turned green. And unlike the usual rear-end slide, this time it was the front that went. Ugh...I'm seriously thinking new tires soon. Most of the snow and slush thinned out quickly after leaving Madison metro limits. Some white-knuckle driving until about Johnson Creek, where very little snow had fallen. By the time I got to Milwaukee, it barely looked like the skies had sent ANYTHING our way! Today it flurried again, but it did not stick.
Well, I'm going to bed. So much to do, including two papers for next week!!!
Hugs, Christi and Lily
After heading to Madison in perfect cool weather yesterday morning, it was a wake-up call to drive back this morning in snowy, slippery conditions.
I got up extra early on accident. I thought we were meeting at 11AM, so I wanted to head out early in order to hit Macy's for my Santa letter and perhaps a slice of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake for Matt and Megan to thank them for letting me stay over that night. Yes, I did send a letter to Santa...mostly because Macy's donates $1 for each letter to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Ok, a little because I hope some of the magic that flies around this time of year might bring me what I wished for this Christmastime. Anyway, I enjoyed wandering around Macy's, my first time ever. What can I say, I've been deprived of couture for a very long time. I think there were only pieces from three collections that could be worn everyday with jeans. The rest were very nice and very very expensive. I bought a couple of angel ornaments on 40% off under $10 to commemorate my visit. Seriously, who pays over two hundred dollars on a piece of clothing they can only wear a couple of times a year??!!
I asked Matt to smile, but when I looked at the camera screen I saw how it turned out. No wonder he didn't hide his face like he normally does!
Anyway, I made it to Madison without completely running out of gas. $2.53 in Madison vs. $2.59 any where else...I know where I'm going! Megan and I went to meet Mom out at Half Price on the westside while Matt took a shower. Found lots of cheaper books for Megan's kids toys drive. Then we all headed over to Pancake Cafe. I had the first burger I've eaten in probably a month. I've really tried to cut down on such things since my blood pressure started to rise. Mmmmmm...burgery goodness! We had a great time for a couple of hours, discussing our strange Christmas traditions and and the future beyond that. We headed to Target so Mom could assist Santa in shopping for practical items for us. We said good-bye to Mom and headed back to Matt and Megan's downtown apartment to drop off Matt's car.
It gets dark so early these days! We were able to get out and enjoy the Rotary Lights show before the concert gates opened. We had floor standing space, and got there so early that we had "second row" spaces....you know, if there had been an official row system, we would've been that close! Lots of great pics and fantastic music from the Zac Brown Band and their three musical guests. Lots of funny songs and stories too! Got home late, went to bed quickly, and woke up to a few inches of snow.
Matt and Megan and their concert tickets ready to go!
I left their place at about 7:30AM...a few minutes and two Pop Tarts after I woke up! Charlie doesn't do well on snow. I am thankful that the other drivers were observant and that we only hit half of the red lights on E. Washington. I did almost slide into another car near Red Letter News as the light turned green. And unlike the usual rear-end slide, this time it was the front that went. Ugh...I'm seriously thinking new tires soon. Most of the snow and slush thinned out quickly after leaving Madison metro limits. Some white-knuckle driving until about Johnson Creek, where very little snow had fallen. By the time I got to Milwaukee, it barely looked like the skies had sent ANYTHING our way! Today it flurried again, but it did not stick.
Well, I'm going to bed. So much to do, including two papers for next week!!!
Hugs, Christi and Lily
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Snow snow snow
My FIRST picture with my new camera
It is the first snow of the season! I spent the day preparing for my 2PM class and then got a H1N1 vaccine for free. After that I went to the mansion for my first of three shifts at the Mansion. Ack! So much to do! Two papers in two weeks AND added workload. Ugh.
At least I got to enjoy the first snow!
Christi :)
Snowing at the Mansion!!!
It is the first snow of the season! I spent the day preparing for my 2PM class and then got a H1N1 vaccine for free. After that I went to the mansion for my first of three shifts at the Mansion. Ack! So much to do! Two papers in two weeks AND added workload. Ugh.
At least I got to enjoy the first snow!
Christi :)
Snowing at the Mansion!!!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Black Friday
Yes, we got up at 3:30AM to be out the door by 4AM and to the local Wal-Mart. We got external hard drives, memory sticks, and yes, I did get a TV. Nice, 40", Sony. Not sure how to hook it up, or even when. I still have to get back to Milwaukee this morning. Yay.
Please check out my newest album, pictures from family Thanksgivings. Matt, Megan, and I went to the Makos Thanksgiving yesterday, which was a lot of fun. Matt bodyslammed Ben into the floor - I'm happy to say that they didn't break anything or each other.
I'm napping. Hugs,
Christi (with Mom, Matt, Megan, Daisy, Buddy, and Lily)
Please check out my newest album, pictures from family Thanksgivings. Matt, Megan, and I went to the Makos Thanksgiving yesterday, which was a lot of fun. Matt bodyslammed Ben into the floor - I'm happy to say that they didn't break anything or each other.
I'm napping. Hugs,
Christi (with Mom, Matt, Megan, Daisy, Buddy, and Lily)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Autumn falling
Hello,
I got to spend Saturday with the family. It was great to walk around with them and all chat at the same time. We went to "Men who Stare at Goats"...interesting, quirky,... need to suspend reality for that one. Anyway, I loved it.
I've got to find some motivation and umph. Here I go...
I got to spend Saturday with the family. It was great to walk around with them and all chat at the same time. We went to "Men who Stare at Goats"...interesting, quirky,... need to suspend reality for that one. Anyway, I loved it.
I've got to find some motivation and umph. Here I go...
Friday, November 06, 2009
Hoping for direction
Hello,
I'm torn. Do I go for a job or do I go on to school? The dream job opened up, but I am not qualified for it (it is a library technician job at the State Historical Society in Madison). Sigh.
I've just been inspired to do some homemade crafting for gifts. I hope to make it work with little expense. I look forward to the challenge :)
This weekend will be spent working on RA work and homework. Pretty laid-back which is cool.
Last night I went with Sarah to see Eric Church, a country/rock singer, at the Pabst Theater where I used to work security. It was hard to turn my security-senses off...I kept smelling smoke (the theater is smoke-free) and worrying about the passed out drunk in the seat next to the one next to me. He eventually jumped up and wandered down to the pit after the show had been going for an hour. Go figure. The concert itself was awesome, even though we couldn't hear him singing because everyone was singing along. He must really like beer, because it was featured in most of his songs. He had broken his leg, so he had to sit down for most of the concert. He clearly put on a very entertaining show with two good legs because he kept hopping up and down on one.
Pictures: http://pabsttheater.org/_galleries/ericchurch_pabst_110509/ericchurch.html
Ummmmm.....otherwise life's rather dull around here. Thank goodness I got my book for presentation via the library. Sadly it came one day before I presented...even though I ordered it almost a week earlier. Totally can tell that they've had to cut back. Again. Depressions are killers on making things available to the masses, whether it be book or bank hours.
Well, I think I'm going to lay down. I am just not in the party-mood. Mostly just sleepy. Considering I had a half-caffeine latte at 4PM, I'm really surprised.
Have a great weekend!
Christi :)
I'm torn. Do I go for a job or do I go on to school? The dream job opened up, but I am not qualified for it (it is a library technician job at the State Historical Society in Madison). Sigh.
I've just been inspired to do some homemade crafting for gifts. I hope to make it work with little expense. I look forward to the challenge :)
This weekend will be spent working on RA work and homework. Pretty laid-back which is cool.
Last night I went with Sarah to see Eric Church, a country/rock singer, at the Pabst Theater where I used to work security. It was hard to turn my security-senses off...I kept smelling smoke (the theater is smoke-free) and worrying about the passed out drunk in the seat next to the one next to me. He eventually jumped up and wandered down to the pit after the show had been going for an hour. Go figure. The concert itself was awesome, even though we couldn't hear him singing because everyone was singing along. He must really like beer, because it was featured in most of his songs. He had broken his leg, so he had to sit down for most of the concert. He clearly put on a very entertaining show with two good legs because he kept hopping up and down on one.
Pictures: http://pabsttheater.org/_galleries/ericchurch_pabst_110509/ericchurch.html
Ummmmm.....otherwise life's rather dull around here. Thank goodness I got my book for presentation via the library. Sadly it came one day before I presented...even though I ordered it almost a week earlier. Totally can tell that they've had to cut back. Again. Depressions are killers on making things available to the masses, whether it be book or bank hours.
Well, I think I'm going to lay down. I am just not in the party-mood. Mostly just sleepy. Considering I had a half-caffeine latte at 4PM, I'm really surprised.
Have a great weekend!
Christi :)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thursday
Well, it's Thursday. My Wednesday is like your Saturday - do home/apartment cleaning, some minor work, but otherwise try to sit back and enjoy. Someday it'd be nice to be like everyone else....you know, when all my debts are paid off and I'll be employed at just the right pay level to allow for savings and spending in equal amounts.
Lily's good. She's sleeping again, I think. Tomorrow Sarah and I head to Oconomowoc's Haunted Sghoul (school). Sounds like we might go see some hometown bands on Saturday night but not stay out too late - don't want to be out when the real crazies hit the streets on Halloween. I'm sad to miss the Badger game, but I need to go to UWM's open house and get more work done. I'm caught-up on short term school assignments, but I need to do more with the final papers and all.
Well, I'm going to get working...or take a nap before working. Not sure which. Hugs!
Christi and Lily :)
Lily's good. She's sleeping again, I think. Tomorrow Sarah and I head to Oconomowoc's Haunted Sghoul (school). Sounds like we might go see some hometown bands on Saturday night but not stay out too late - don't want to be out when the real crazies hit the streets on Halloween. I'm sad to miss the Badger game, but I need to go to UWM's open house and get more work done. I'm caught-up on short term school assignments, but I need to do more with the final papers and all.
Well, I'm going to get working...or take a nap before working. Not sure which. Hugs!
Christi and Lily :)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sleepy
Hello,
Well, I have been busy keeping myself on track for class. Got a few hours in RA work today too, yay! I wish I could do more. It is 7PM and I'm exhausted. Silly me, too much time spent looking at microfilm. And not sleeping.
Anyway, hope all is going well!
Christi and Lily
Well, I have been busy keeping myself on track for class. Got a few hours in RA work today too, yay! I wish I could do more. It is 7PM and I'm exhausted. Silly me, too much time spent looking at microfilm. And not sleeping.
Anyway, hope all is going well!
Christi and Lily
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Quick Updates
Still working on the poster (see below). Still doing RA work. Need to start reading for next Monday. I'm both on schedule and also falling behind. Ack!
Well, I must keep going. Lots of love, Christi and Lily
Well, I must keep going. Lots of love, Christi and Lily
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Working on the Settlement
Robert Pattinson from "Twilight" dreaming of me....I wish!
Anyway, today I spent working on my poster for this weekend's conference in Milwaukee on Milwaukee history. I got to spend some time with Sarah this PM, as it is our "Glee" night. She was kind enough to give me more feedback on my work with some helpful suggestions. After laughing at the terrible dancing of her TV-crush, I took her home. We actually met up at Caffery's, a bar at Marquette. There was a GSO (Graduate School Organization) event. I had hoped that some History peeps would come, but alas, they did not. I think a few have some midterms to grade. Thankfully Sarah had finished her paper and came to check out the cute bartenders with me.
So much to do this week still, including lots of RA work and some MCHS visiting. Despite the "Fall Break", I don't feel like I'm getting a break.
Well, must get to bed. Love, Christi and Lily
My work in progress
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Busy Busy Busy
Today is going to be another long day. Yesterday I got everything off of the to-do list. Today I'm expecting to get called in to the Mansion for a tour or two, then I'm going in tonight for a volunteer's 100th birthday celebration. I've got to work again tomorrow. I was in last night as well, to clean up after the party. When not working at the Mansion, I need to either be doing A) RA work and B) Class readings for class, a book called Class. LOL! I made a punny. Anyway, I hope to get all of that done this weekend and still have some time to relax. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Hugs,
Christi and Lily
Ok, I know it's a little weird, but these were taken on my cellphone after the funeral. Hey, we were all dressed up and lookin' nice...that doesn't happen often.
Hugs,
Christi and Lily
Ok, I know it's a little weird, but these were taken on my cellphone after the funeral. Hey, we were all dressed up and lookin' nice...that doesn't happen often.
