Shop Till You Drop

So today I went shopping for "professional" clothes. I need to look the part on Monday.

Jason dropped me and Bart off at Water Tower Place this afternoon. They have a big Macy's, Filene's Basement, Barns & Noble, and a mall all really close together. Anyway, I tried out Filene's Basement first, but got completely overwhelmed the second I walked in. I HATE stores that aren't organized at all, especially if they are also packed with people.

At this point, Bart went to study at B&N and I moved on to H&M. I got two cute blouses (I would have had three, but they didn't have the other one I liked in my size), a tank top, and a really pretty sweater. And let me tell you, I HATE the sales tax in Chicago!

After that, I went to Macy's and the mall, but found nothing that I liked or that looked appropriate for work. I might have to go to the Express down the road from us tomorrow to get a couple more things. It doesn't hurt to be prepared and look nice!

Once I was finished shopping, Bart met me in the mall and we got Wow Bao for dinner. It's basically a fast-food Asian place that only makes dumplings, called Bao. It was really good, but REALLY filling. I feel like I am going to explode.

And, once again, I brought my camera with me and failed to take pictures of the city. I swear I'll take some at one point or another. I'm so bad about that.

Currently Employed

Well folks (by "folks" I mean Alyssa and Branyn), I got the Legal Assistant job that I vented about yesterday.

The Senior Partner called last night to offer me the position along with a two week trial period. I wish I could say that I was excited, but I wasn't. As it happened, I had been complaining to Bart about the fact that they made me hang around all day, so I wasn't really in a celebratory mood. Bart was absolutely thrilled, as were my dad and Grammie. I start Monday at 9am.

In other news, I have a very busy weekend ahead of me. I need to go out and buy at least 4 more blouses to wear to my new job (I only have one as of now and I wore it to the interview), I need to buy a date book so that I can work my schedule around Bart's and the lawyers', and I NEED to get a bus/train card so that I can commute alone on the days Jason and Bart can't drop me off. I probably ought to get a lunch box or something, too, but I'll just use paper for now. I hate the way lunch boxes tend to stink like whatever food was kept in them. And, unfortunately, I like stinky food.

Anyway, I have decided that when Bart and I get out this weekend, I am going to bring my camera and take pictures of the city and of us so that I can post them here. Pictures always make things more interesting.

No news yet on the wedding/honeymoon debacle, but I had a great talk with my Aunt Jayne about everything, which helped A LOT. I really do need to start realizing that these things aren't the end of the world and just DEAL.

I Shouldn't Blame Bart

I feel bad about being so mad at Bart. I guess I needed to vent my anger and frustration and he was fresh in my mind. I SHOULD write about how wonderful he was to me last night when I (finally) got home.

Bart, after hearing about my horrendous day, went to Chipotle--my new favorite place to eat (gross, I know)--and got me a fajita. I like the burritos best, but lets not focus on that. Anyway, he even brought home some of the green Tabasco sauce in a little container for me! I was so THRILLED that I didn't have to make dinner and that I got to eat something much more delicious than a crummy frozen pizza. Bart set the table and even cleaned up all of the dishes AND the entire kitchen for me while I sat on the couch and cried a little because I was so exhausted and pissed from my day.

He really is fantastic and I shouldn't be mad at him. He just wants our wedding experience to be special and everything that it is "supposed" to be. And his aunt and grandparents have worked so hard to give us a very generous and wonderful gift. It isn't their fault that it happens to be coming at a bad time.

Horribly Confused...

So yesterday I had my Legal Assistant interview in downtown Chicago. It was the single worst interview experience I've had in my entire life.

I arrived at the Law Office at 12pm and didn't leave until 7:30pm. I'm not kidding. The worst part of the whole day was that at least 4 of those hours were spent waiting. I waiting to be seen by the first person to interview me. I waited for the second person to interview me. I waited for the tour of the office. I had to wait for the fourth person to interview me. When I finally got the chance to meet the senior partner, I sat in front of his desk and waited for 45 minutes while he talked on the phone to clients and finally sent me out. Then, I waited a total of 2 and a half hours in the lobby waiting to talk to him again while he met with clients. I have never felt so worthless in my entire life.

In total, I met with 7--that's right, 7--employees yesterday. Three of those people had nothing to do with hiring me. I was just pawned off onto them because they had nowhere else to put me.

To make matters worse (and I'll get to my point, I promise) they actually liked me. I was told that, if I get this job, I won't get any vacation time until August for my "honeymoon." This means that I won't get to go to Maria's wedding (in which I am a bridesmaid and have already bought my dress), I won't be able to get my expensive wedding dress fitted so that I can even wear it, and I won't get a bridal shower or get to be involved in making centerpieces for my own wedding. On top of all of that, Bart and I had a fight this morning about the "surprise honeymoon" his aunt and grandparents are planning for us. I am not a person who likes surprises (they make me very nervous) and he has refused to tell me anything at all about it. He refused the other night to call his mom and find out if it was a definite--I wanted to know because one of my best friends wants me to be in her wedding the weekend after mine. Now he's acting like I should have expected this to happen. I didn't! No one clued me in. And, just because my life is so great, I need to decide whether or not to accept this honeymoon and this job.

Right now, everything is riding on this dress. It was super expensive and there is no way that it can be returned. There is also no way that I can wear it unless I fly out to NY to have it fitted. Apparently I need a total of 3! fittings before the wedding day to make sure that it is perfect. I don't know what to do.

This is what it all boils down to:

1. I NEED the job, but will I even be able to be happy there after the way I was treated?
2. I NEED the wedding dress. No two ways about it.
3. I NEED three fittings for the wedding dress.
4. I WANT to enjoy my wedding day and not arrive in NY late the night before the big day.
5. I WANT to have a bridal shower. I've been gypped out of enough wedding fun as it is already.
6. I WOULD LIKE to have the honeymoon, for Bart's sake, if it is possible.

Is it horrible of me to be annoyed with Bart's aunt and grandparents for making this so difficult? I feel that because I wasn't included in ANY of this (I have no idea where we are going or if it is even going to happen) I am being left in a really bad position. I understand that they wanted to give us a special gift, but they never asked us what we wanted to do (as in have the honeymoon now or next year like we had planned). I am going to look ungrateful if I have to give back the honeymoon--but isn't the day of the wedding more important??

Bart and I had originally planned on having our honeymoon on our first wedding anniversary. This wedding has been so expensive and it would give us a whole year to save up money for a really nice trip. All he seems to care about is that we have a honeymoon. It's been a constant battle. We had a disagreement a few nights ago because I told him that I wanted to oversee the decorating of the Four Chimneys the day of our wedding. I don't HAVE to do it, I WANT to! He just has crazy, preconceived ideas about how our wedding is going to play out.

I think if I had all of this to do over again, I would have stayed in NY. I had a good job and made decent money. I would be completely involved in my wedding and I would be able to take off whatever time I needed. I'd be home for the dress fittings, home to make the centerpieces, home to have my bridal shower. I guess I just make bad decisions.

Interview Tomorrow!!!

So I have a real-life interview tomorrow!!!

I applied, by phone, to this law firm yesterday as a Legal Assistant and, to be honest, I wasn't really expecting much. I got a call back within an hour! A very nice woman named Barbara asked me to send her my resume, which I did immediately. She said that I should hear back from them by Monday.

So, today I was just sitting around surfing the net when my phone rang. It was a woman named Brenda from the same law firm! We spoke for about 10 minutes about my work history, etc. and then she asked if I could come in for a face-to-face interview TOMORROW at noon! I really hate to get my hopes up, but it seems like maybe this will be the job since I got a call-back immediately!

Anyway, I did have another interview at another business tomorrow at noon, but it is a job I am a little sketched out about. I think I am going to call and see if I can reschedule that one. This Legal Assistant job is something that I really think I'd like. And, seeing as how I know next to nothing about the other job, the law one wins out!

It was be so nice to get a job and start earning money and benefits. I could begin saving and paying for the last few things I need for the wedding. See how I get my hopes up?

Pray for me!

Busy!

Things have been so busy around here!

I've been cleaning like a mad-woman (don't ask me why) and spending tons of time online applying for jobs, Bart has been studying his brains out for tests, working at the IEI cornea clinic, and trying to get in the odd Racquetball workout. We went to something like a conference to learn more about a possible job for me and then spent Saturday evening playing games with our roommate Jason and friend Tommy.

This past week just completely breezed right by. I think it has a lot to do with how busy everyone is--except me. I haven't been able to really enjoy Bart in nearly three weeks because of the tests he's been having and because he studies so much. On Saturday we went all the way to Oakbrook to go to a convention in the hopes of learning more about a potential job for me. We were up at 6:30am, left here at 8am and were at the convention until about 11:30. When we got home, we were so exhausted that we took a nap. I woke up first and kind of puttered around the apartment while Bart studied. He promised that we'd do something--just the two of us--that night when he was finished. Unfortunately, Tommy called and asked if he could come over and spend some time with us. Now, I love Tommy--he's wonderful, it's just that I wanted to snuggle up with Bart and watch a movie and talk. I hate saying "no" to Tommy because I don't like to think that he's alone. He is the friend of Bart's who recently broke up with his long-time girlfriend.

Anyway, the four of us (and Roscoe) had a really great time playing games all night. We played Taboo for quite a while and laughed at how funny we were trying to describe the word on the card. After that, we played Scattegories, which is a favorite of mine. Everyone seemed to really like it, and we were hysterical over some of Bart and Jason's answers.

Even though I didn't get to spend alone time with Bart, I'm happy that I got to spend quality time with a small group of great people!

I'VE GOT A JOB INTERVIEW!!!--and creole seasoning!

First thing first--I got an actual call-back from a job that I applied to! I was so excited that I literally almost shouted and danced around the living room while I spoke to the HR guy. Anyway, I guess (hope!) he must have liked me on the phone, because after a 10 min. talk about my working experience, he told me that he'd like to do an interview in person THIS WEDNESDAY!!! YESSSSSSSS! And the best part is that this company is in Lincoln Part, which is basically right outside my door! I don't want to post the name of the company or anything else about it because I've heard that it is very unprofessional to do so, especially when I haven't even had a proper interview yet. I'm just so thrilled that someone responded to my resume! I called Dad right away to tell him (he was excited, too) and the first thing he wanted to know was whether or not I had professional clothes. I guess he forgot that he bought me two nice pairs of trouser pants and a pretty blouse for Christmas! Maybe my luck is turning around--and I'm sure the constant prayers haven't hurt, either!

In other news--Bart's two Southern friends, Tara and Jeff, gave me a gift! It is this fantastic stuff called Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning. Bart pulled it out of his school bag Wednesday night and it was such a nice surprise! I am new to Southern food and just love Tara's cooking. Apparently this stuff is her secret! All day yesterday I poked around the kitchen trying to figure out what I could make that would taste good with this seasoning in it. Bart texted me at around noon to tell me that he didn't think he did too well on his last test and that he had had an awful week. (He was traveling this past weekend, so he technically hasn't had a break from school/work in almost two weeks straight). Of course, hearing that, I had to make him one of his favorite meals: Chicken and Dumplings.

Long story short, I dumped some Tony's into the pot and let it all (chicken, flour, milk, onion, broth, seasonings) cook for about an hour before I added the veggies. It ended up being the BEST pot of Chicken and Dumplings that I have ever made! I thought Bart would never stop eating it--haha! So we had that for dinner, with one glass of wine and pistachio pudding for dessert. I am having the same meal all over again--minus the wine--for my lunch!

I.Q. Test

So I kind of heard back from a potential employer yesterday afternoon. I received an automated email that contained an I.Q. test that I am supposed to complete and--I suppose?--fax back to the company. The funniest part of all of this is the fact that the email message itself reads "please note that we are an equal opportunity employer." Um, if you are hiring based on I.Q., I'm pretty sure you aren't equal opportunity anymore!

Anyway, I'm kind of annoyed about having to take this (8 page) test. I feel like my resume should kind of speak for itself, you know? It's the whole reason I went to college, got a degree and made the resume to begin with. Oh well. This kind of test makes me so nervous--I'm always afraid that I'll find out I'm slightly retarded or something.

More later...

Be Positive.

So I know that this is post #2 for today, but after reading what I wrote earlier I felt I should add something happy, something good to this blog. I tend to focus too much on the negative in life and I am trying my darnedest to turn that around!

Okay, so one good thing that happened today was that Roscoe was so well behaved--for a change. We snuggled, played tag and scared each other. I don't know why, but that little bunny just loooves to surprise/frighten me by jumping out of nowhere or creeping up to me and putting his nose on whatever bare body part is closest to him. He likes to be scared in return though, so I get him back. He sure is weird.

Another good thing that happened today was that I got to talk with my friend Melis. I haven't talked to her in forever. I helped her plan her sister's Alice in Wonderland themed baby shower and then we got caught up on each other's wedding plans. It was nice to chat with her about dumb little things like we used to do when we were younger. I get so sad that we've drifted apart a little bit over the years. It's something that is both our faults. Maybe we'll get to fix it.

Good thing number three is that I taped 3 hours of The Office tonight, so Bart and I will get to watch some of them tomorrow after his test. He's been studying almost non-stop since he got back from his trip so I can't wait to spend time with him! Yay for tomorrow!

I should have been happy about today in the first place. I can't believe that I applied to 9 whole jobs in ONE day! The real trick will be getting interviews, but one thing at a time, I guess.

Bummed.

It's 3pm here in Chicago and so far I have spent nearly 4 hours searching for and applying to NINE jobs. My butt hurts, my neck hurts and my eyes might just pop.

Midway through the application process, I discovered that my computer never saved the changes I made to my contact info (NY-->Chicago) on several of my resumes--including the one I sent out to ICO for the writing/editing position I so badly want. I could seriously cry. That is going to be a huge indicator that my editing skills are sub-par.

I can't help but to be horrendously disappointed in myself for letting such a stupid mistake make it past me. And for something so important! Ugh. I'm going to have to write an email explaining the problem and beg for forgiveness. So many jobs have been applied for that there is no way I can go back and correct all of my information. Well, it's been corrected now. Hopefully it stays that way.

Book Review and Weekend Update

I've just finished re-reading (for the 1838492984 time) one of my all time favorite books: I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith. I absolutely love this book and turn to it time and time again when I'm in one of those funks where I can't seem to find a new book I want to read.

Dodie Smith, who also wrote 101 Dalmatians, is a master of descriptive writing. She is one of the few authors I have read who doesn't bore me with lengthy descriptions of people and places. She makes you really "see" her images in your mind's eye and leaves you wanting more.

Cassandra is the narrator of the novel--or the "journal" in which she tries to "capture" the essence of the ruined castle she lives in with her poverty stricken family, her famous father, and the American men that burst into her family's life. Cassandra not only "captures" everyone in her insightful writing--she captures herself as she comes of age in 1940's England. It is so refreshing to read a novel that isn't filled with smut and cliches. It's a book that I would recommend to literally anyone, but especially to people who love all things European (like me).

Anyway, I didn't write at all this weekend because I was--for once--so busy! My roommate Jason and our friend Tommy took me out to dinner on Friday night. We went to this great place called Opart Thai. It's Bart's favorite restaurant, so I made sure to text him and tell him what he was missing--haha! It was so nice to get out of the apartment and I so appreciate Jason and Tommy for thinking of me. On Saturday night Tommy invited me and Jason to go out to a bar with his and a couple girl friends from college that were visiting. The girls were so sweet! The bar was fun--it was karaoke night--and I got to meet more of Bart's classmates, who were all nice, too!

I love going out in the city at night. Most places still have white Christmas lights up, and then, of course, there are all of the other city lights to look at. It reminds me of one really big party. Groups of dressed-up people are walking around, talking and laughing, sometimes play-yelling. And I don't know why, but I just get the feeling that everyone is in a good mood. I felt totally safe that night (though it probably helped that Jason and Tommy were with me). I think it was really good for me to see the city that way. Sometimes I still get kind of scared when I'm walking around. Even during the daytime when I'm with Bart. It really changed my outlook!

Bart came home Sunday afternoon and I was SO happy to see him! He wanted to take a nap, so I walked down the street (by myself!!!) to the Spice Merchant. It is my FAVORITE shop on our street. It has such a pretty store front--I'll take a picture sometime--and the inside is just perfect. It has an old wooden floor and there are wooden shelves and tables everywhere with huge apothecary jars filled with literally every single kind of spice or herb you could possibly want. I even found TRUFFLE SALT!!! (It was $14 for just a tiny bit, so I didn't buy it even though I love truffles. I don't know what I'd do with it anyway). The smell in that store is wonderful: spicy, lemony, and exotic. Exotic all by itself is probably just what I'm looking for. They have lavender sugar, saffron threads, and ginger in every form (I'm going to buy the crystallized chunks next time I go). They even have one of those really old copper cash registers--like from the early 1900's. It's beautiful. And it almost makes you feel like you've gone back in time! Anyway, I am going to buy all of my herbs and spices there from now on because, not only do I (clearly) love the shop, but it is SO much cheaper! I can't even begin to tell you how much money I've saved buying spices there--and they are MUCH better quality than Tone's or McCormick's.

How sad is it that I briefly mention Bart's homecoming and rattle on for forever about spices? Haha!

Boring Morning...

As I write this I'm eating a huge piece of cornbread for breakfast. Yum! Is there anything more delicious in the morning than cornbread? Roscoe is eating his breakfast treat of four baby carrots and it sounds like he is relishing every bite. He has such an expressive little face--he keeps looking at me like "MMMM!! GOOD!!" He cracks me up.

Today I have a goal other than applying for more jobs. I am going to cancel my bank account back home and open one here in Chicago. I've been putting this off for weeks because I couldn't settle on a bank. There are so many here! Then we got a little coupon in the mail for one bank that promises $150 cash if you open a checking account with them--and this bank is located directly across the street from our apartment! What luck! Everyone complains about how I can't make decisions and that I procrastinate, but today it paid off!

Back to the job front: Still no email or phone calls, but I guess I really can't expect any until February. The only thing I can do is hope and pray that something works out. Soon. And continue to apply to tons of jobs.

Bart called this morning to tell me about his schedule for the day. He has meetings from 8am-4pm, but he gets free food the whole time so I don't really feel that bad for him. He also told me that the maintenance man is coming to fix one of the light fixtures in the kitchen. We have three recessed lights in the ceiling in the kitchen that have gone out and need to be replaced. Apparently that is our responsibility. This really ticked me off since we have 10 foot ceilings, no ladder and I can't even begin to imagine where we would get bulbs in the appropriate shape. Bart is going to have to climb onto the counter and see if he can reach the lights that way, which is so dangerous. Ugh. Landlords stink.

Life. It'll Getcha.

Bart just left. And I feel like I am going to cry. I hate, hate, HATE being without Bart! The fact that he has to fly to St. Louis doesn't make me feel any better. I am always so afraid the the plane I, or a loved one, am flying on is going to go down. I really don't know how I would survive if anything ever happened to Bart. Ugh. Feeling so sad/upset/nervous is the worst. I will feel a lot better once he makes it to the meeting and he's off the plane.

At least I still have Roscoe to snuggle with. Unfortunately, he's been very naughty lately and has spent lots of time in his cage. He has at least 5 toys and an apple wood stick he can chew on, but he prefers the furniture. And the worst part is that he chews on our things intentionally! It is almost like have a little two year old in the apartment. If Bug (Roscoe's nickname) doesn't think I'm paying him enough attention, and nipping at my ankles hasn't worked, he will hop over to a chair or the couch and chew loud enough for me to hear and then TURN AROUND AND SEE IF I'M LOOKING!!! Can you believe the nerve? It drives me nuts. And I mean legitimately crazy. One day the men in white coats are going to come and cart me away. It's a darn good thing Bug is cute!

Yesterday I took a look at my finances and I'm a bit worried. I have been living in Chicago since November 7th and have yet to find a job--which means that I'm getting low on money. Bart and I kind of panicked last night and scoured the internet for jobs I could apply to. Our system actually ended up working out SO well. Bart sat next to me and searched for jobs in our area, which consisted of anything I would be able to do, on his laptop. Then he emailed the ones he found in batches of 3-4. I sat with my laptop and changed up my resume and pumped out cover letters for the jobs he sent. I ended up applying to three extra jobs! And--I had a brain wave. I copied and pasted my original resume and saved it with the changes I made, then labeled it for whatever type of job it was for. I also saved my cover letter template. This way, I only have to make a very few changes each time I apply to something and hopefully I'll be able to get my information out to more jobs in less time. I guess it's a good thing that Bart's friend will be moving in at the end of February!

I absolutely love the way Bart and I can work together. It makes me feel so good to know that I have someone backing me up 100% in everything I do. He makes me feel so loved. He loves me in a way I hadn't been loved since my mom died. Each night I thank God for bringing Bart into my life and ask Him to protect him. All I can do endeavor to deserve it.

Need a Life? I do.

So I have decided that I would like to join a book club. I'd love to read all week and meet with a group to have a glass of wine and snacks and have a great discussion. Not that it matters, because I haven't heard about any book clubs in the area. But it would be nice. I'll keep an eye out for flyers or something.

I tried to start a little book club with Bart when we lived in Plattsburgh. It didn't work out. He would only read half of each book and decide that he knew enough or that it was boring. So we never got to discuss the text or the writing style or the story line or any underlying meaning. That is something that I really miss about college. I hated having tons of homework, and some of the books stunk, but at least I got to converse about it!

It's really tough having nothing to do all day and I'm really not sure what to do about a hobby. Bart's mom bought me jewelry making tools a couple of years ago for Christmas--maybe I should start making jewelry. One of my friends makes beautiful jewelry and she claims it's very therapeutic. It would be fun to create something new every day. Maybe I'll call Dad and have him send out all of the stuff so I can get started.

In other news, Bart is going to St. Louis tomorrow afternoon through Sunday for some Optometric meeting. This will be the first time I'll be alone since I moved here. Wait, I tell a lie. I won't be alone. Our roommate will be here--and Roscoe. I don't know what I'm going to do for four days. Having no job or life means that Bart coming home every night is the highlight of my day. Oh well. It's something that I'll need to get used to since he's got three more trips this year. See? Just one more reason that I NEED to find a job.

Let Them Eat Cake!

When I checked my email this morning, I saw that our wedding cake lady, Irene Maston (www.irenemaston.com) finally sent me her sketch for our cake--and it is perfect! It is four layers covered in white fondant with a light blue fondant ribbon wrapped around the bottom of each layer. Each layer has a scattering of white chocolate seashells and clusters of white and light pink Cape Roses. Instead of a traditional cake-topper, we asked Irene to continue the Cape theme in another way. Two little Adirondack chairs will sit on top of the cake under a white and blue beach umbrella. There is a tiny bucket with a little bottle of champagne inside between the chairs and two little sets of flip-flops, one at the bottom of each chair. The chairs were my idea, the rest was Bart's. That is one thing I love about him--he surprises me. I would never have expected Bart to put that much thought into our cake beyond how it tastes! And speaking of taste...

Bart and I decided to go with a really different cake flavor. Three of the four layers will be white cake with two stripes of lavender cream and one stripe of lemon ginger cream. I know it sounds weird, but it tastes SO good! It's fresh and light and completely different from the run-of-the-mill vanilla and chocolate. The third layer--for those faint of heart--will be almond cake with two stripes of fresh raspberries and one stripe of Bailey's Irish Cream cream.

I wasn't excited in the slightest to pick out our wedding cake flavors because I have hated frosting all my life. I was thrilled to find that Irene's cakes are delicious! She hand-makes everything--even her fondant. Everyone told me not to get fondant on the cake because it tastes horrible. I'd never had it, so I was eager to see what her's tasted like. It was perfect--not sicky-sweet and definitely not bland or bad tasting. She also makes ALL of her cake decorations out of chocolate and suger, which is what all of our decorations will be made out of, except for the chairs. Bart and I wanted the chairs to be wooden so that we can keep them after.

It really seems like the wedding is finally coming together. I even got the photographer I wanted--Carrie Bombria (www.carrieannphotography.com)! The ceremony will be at the Old First Church in Bennington, VT and the reception at The Four Chimneys Inn (www.fourchimneys.com). All I have left to do is book the DJ and the florist. I have to admit that I am kind of dragging my feet on this one. It is just so hard for me to commit without meeting the people, even if they do come highly recommended by the Four Chimneys. I'm going to have to bite the bullet soon, though, or else there won't be music or flowers at the wedding!

In other news, Bart called today and told me that one of his friends might need to move into the apartment with us. He and his girlfriend broke up just before I moved here and have been taking 3 week turns living in their one bedroom apartment. He stays on the couch here a lot of the time. I am guessing that either their lease is ending soon or that she has finally released him from it. He needs to stay with us so that he can finish his 3rd year at ICO.

Bart's friend is so nice and I like him a lot, but I feel bad because we don't have any spare rooms to give him. He wants to contribute to our rent, but I can't in good conscience let him if all he gets is a couch and a corner to put his things in. One other problem is that we aren't sure if the lease will allow him to stay, and as it is, the landlord apparently doesn't know that I'm living here. Bart said the landlord never comes here and it doesn't say anywhere in the lease that he reserves the right to pop in unexpectedly, so we'll probably be okay.

I Hate Job Hunting

Today has been another day of spending hours looking for jobs and making/sending resumes and cover letters. I am getting so tired of spending my days like this--I just wish someone would hire me already!

It's so hard trying to find a job when I know I'm competing with people who are 15 years older than me and have that many years of experience, whereas I have none. I just applied today for a job at Bart's school, the Illinois College of Optometry, for a writer/editor position. It is exactly the kind of thing that I have been trained to do as an English student, but they require at least five years of experience. I decided to apply anyway. I know I can do this job, and do it well. It just remains to be seen if Human Resources also sees my potential.

On another note, I tried out a new recipe last night! It turned out great, but I changed it up a little bit. Bart loved it. It is this tomato-veggie soup with ravioli in it. Unfortunately, I let the soup part cook too long, so it ended up as more of a sauce when the ravioli were added. Next time I'll add more chicken stock, I think. I love trying out new recipes, but I always get so nervous while I'm cooking. I wonder if it's going to taste okay and what it is supposed to look like. Bart says that I should just relax. He's probably right.

We (Bart, Jason and I) went grocery shopping last night as well. It was SO cold out--I think only 13 degrees. I'm still not used to shopping for food in the city. For some reason I always assume that everything I see is really dirty--probably because of all the people who shop/touch things--and not the best quality. This probably isn't fair to assume, but I can't help it! Another thing I noticed while shopping last night is just how rude and pushy city people are! I was trying to pick out yogurt for Bart to bring to school in his lunch and some lady shoved my cart into my leg and then tried to elbow me out of the way! She never once looked at me or spoke--it was almost as though I wasn't there. People are so different here. Back home someone would have apologized or excused themselves instead of acting like a neanderthal.

I guess I've vented for the day...hopefully I'm more positive tomorrow!

Hello, World!

Here it is--my first ever blog entry! I've been thinking about blogging since I moved to Chicago (in early November '09) since it would be an easy way to keep family and friends up-to-date with my new life. So, here goes:

I have lived in Chicago for about two months now and STILL don't have a job--if you're from Chicago and reading this, HIRE ME!

I am trying to plan my wedding from 830 miles away from home, which is very stressful.

And, I have made zero friends (outside of Bart's friends from school, who are all extremely nice but extremely busy) because I am never in a situation where I can get to know a stranger. I think that this has been the hardest thing of all to deal with.


Anyway, my New Year's Resolution is to remedy any and all of these little problems as quickly as possible so that I can really begin living my new life as a city girl!