Done!

The other day, sick of always emailing things to my mother and asking her to print them for me, I purchased a printer.

I bought it at the same time as my Macbook (it was an optional add-on at the Apple site) and I didn't even give it much thought.  It was literally like, "Oh, hey.  A printer. I oughta get me one of those.  $99?  Sounds fair."  *click. Add to cart.*

Now, because FedEx has the tendency to be dumb, my printer was several days late.  During these days, I had time to surmise what my new printer might be like.  Damn, I thought.  I should have ordered a wireless one.  I bet this one isn't wireless.


The next day, I thought, I should really pick up a scanner with my next paycheck so I can scan and get rid of all these old photos.


Imagine my shock (and happiness) when my printer arrives and it is BOTH wireless AND a scanner!  Needless to say, I have spent the past three days on task, scanning and uploading all the loose photos I owned.  Over 800 photos later, I'm finished!  Phew!  I didn't realize I was such a photo hoarder.  (Still am, but digital format is just so much cleaner.)

Next up, I'm hopefully having Shaun rip some of my old VHS tapes to DVD, and having Mike transcribe some of my old (super embarrassing) writing.  After that?  Well, my clutter problem might be damn near solved.  That'll be pretty sweet.

In other news, my job has me so turned around that I just looked at the clock and realized it's 2 AM. My first thought was not, "Wow, I should sleep." but instead, "No, that can't be right."  and I proceeded to check multiple clocks.

Bed now.  Maybe.

Don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted.

It seems like 2012 is going to be "my year", as they say.

In the past month, thanks in great part to my friend Mike (who is a WIZARD when it comes to doing my taxes) and this new pretty sweet job (which allows me not only to work full-time, but weekly overtime as well) I have...

-cleared most of my credit card debt
-put a decent chunk of money into a savings account for the first time in roughly 4 years
-bought the Macbook Pro I have spent TEN.YEARS lusting after and trying (and failing) to save for.

A little story:  when I was 19 and first wanted an Macbook, I figured the only way to get one was to get an Apple credit card.  So, I applied and was denied due to lack of credit.  Understandable.  I realized credit was something I had to build, so I tried smaller--I got a Target credit  card first, then a Sears card.  (The Sears was a Sears Visa--I hoped maybe my credit limit would be high enough to get a Macbook.  Nope.)

Long story short, I racked up a ton of debt on those two cards, plus an Old Navy card.  I was never approved for an Apple card--but I was approved for a Dell credit card.  Enter my really crappy 2002 Dell Inspirion laptop, which cost $700 on the site, but after all the interest and late fees I accrued over the years, probably ended up costing more like $2,000.

Anyway.  Long story short?  Pay for things in cash.  If you want a Macbook Pro, wait ten years until you get a sweet tax return.

Other good news?  I passed my junior year a week or so ago, and am now an official college senior.  I also finally got the tattoo I've been wanting for a year or so.  (it's in the horrid itchy phase right now.)

Next up?  I'm seeing The Addams Family (the musical) this weekend with my friend Christie.  It's our second time seeing it, this time with the touring company, but I'm still really excited about it!  It was a great show, despite all the bad press it received.

Besides the continued bill paying and getting caught up on any financial things that have fallen to the wayside, I plan on improving my organizational skills, forming better habits and minimizing things around the house even more.  And hopefully pretty soon I'll be able to take some financial-worry-free weekend trips with Shaun.  I'm dying to go back to NYC!  It's been too long.

Hope you are all doing well also, and that tax time was good to you.  I know many people owe this year, even those who claimed zero.  I can't imagine how terrible it is to expect a decent return and instead be told you need to give up some of your own money!  I was definitely fortunate to be spared that.

Mini-rant.

It makes me angry when people assume that just because something has worked for them, that it will work for everyone.

A friend of mine recently posted a blog that implied pretty much anyone could obtain a job in 14 days--and if they didn't, they simply weren't doing things right.  Now, I'd be all for this if it was titled something like "How I Found a Job in 14 Days", but it's not.  It's a how-to.

I first read this article because I was curious.  Really? 14 days?  You mean I was doing something wrong these past six months?  I looked forward to the pointers he had to offer, but finished the article feeling unimpressed and insulted.

"Submitting resumes online is not job hunting" was one of the first pieces of advice.  If I followed this advice, I not only wouldn't have gotten my last three jobs--I wouldn't know where to even begin looking for jobs.  Of course, his advice is to "go in and speak to a manager", which might work just find in a city setting, but aside from the center of town (which has roughly 10 businesses that are either not hiring or I'm not qualified to work for), there are no businesses near me.  I NEED online job searches in order to find places that are hidden just off the beaten path, as I'm not terribly familiar with my rural area that consists of mostly houses and farms.

Also, out of the managers I've spoken with, most are too busy to give you the time of day.  They'll either say, "Fill out an application online" or, "We aren't hiring right now, but we're always accepting applications."  (This is retail code for: sure, apply, but by the time we're actually hiring we'll have lost/thrown out your application.)

What's that? You don't think retail establishments throw away applications?  I can't tell you all the times I've personally crumpled applications just seconds after receiving them. 'we're always accepting applications' means 'don't waste your time'.

When I tried to explain to this person that I was happy for him, but he was fortunate he had the luck to get a job in 14 days and this was the exception rather than the rule, he told me luck has nothing to do with it, it was simple preparedness and opportunity (one could argue that "opportunity" IS "luck", at least I think it is!), and that I should keep my eye on the goal or face the consequences and stop making excuses for my failures.

I find it hard to believe that someone who found a job in 14 days really grasps what the economy is like out there.  In the past six months I've applied for between 5-10 jobs a DAY (that's 1,800 jobs! But let's be generous and say I took a weekend off here or there, or maybe couldn't find 10 jobs every night--still, it is a huge amount of jobs, at least a thousand.) and you know how many interviews I was called for?  TWELVE. (Actually, I was only "called" for ten--I stormed in and secured interviews twice.)

I was also called for two interviews, one with an insurance company and one for a book store, but when I returned their calls (two to three times) they never got back to me.

Out of these twelve interviews, I was offered ONE position--the one I accepted.

And don't get me wrong, I am extremely hireable and a good candidate for many positions. (This is not simply my personal opinion--I have been told this by hiring agencies who absolutely salivated over my skills and resume.)

If it took me six months to find a job, it's just insulting to claim anyone can find a job in 14 days.  It's brutal out there.  Don't tell me luck or good fortune has nothing to do with it!

This is not about celebrities.

I GOT A NEW JOB YAY!

I started on Monday, it's full-time (yay) with benefits (yay) and more than I was making at my previous job (yay).  Also, I don't have to deal with customers (yay) or anything of that nature, AND it's a casual dress code so I can wear my usual dress/leggings/boots/cardigan attire (yay!).  It is absolutely great for right now, and it couldn't have come along at a better time.  I can't wait to bask in the glory that is my first paycheck.

(The basking will be short-lived, followed by frantic bill paying of course.)

Also, as of this time next week, I will be a COLLEGE SENIOR.  Which means I will be 29 by the time I have my diploma in hand.  Which means I'll have a bachelor's degree before I'm 30.  (This is awesome, because I used to always whine "I'm going to be THIRTY by the time I graduate..."  Shaving a year off that time feels good.)

I'm still undecided if I'm going to pursue my masters degree or not...I suppose it all depends on what my social and work life is looking like at that point.  If I can secure desirable employment without it, I may skip it altogether.  Who needs the additional student loan debt?  We'll see.  I am, however, excited for semester break.  I have around 50+ books waiting to be read!  But let's be real, I'll probably spend my break working, sleeping, and hanging out with Shaun.  Fine with me ;)

Life has been good lately.  My friend Mary has been helping me out with some photography: she needs photos for her portfolio, I need new shots for my website.  I just got a new fridge and it's seriously gorgeous.  (And yes, I realize being excited about appliances makes me an OFFICIAL loser adult.  Even more so, the fact that I thought, "Hmm, maybe I should buy a washer & dryer with my tax return..."  WHAT HAVE I BECOME?

I think I'm going to have to eat some ice cream for breakfast just to assure my inner child I'm not  a total waste of an adult. ...too bad I vowed to eat less ice cream this year.*

*I've made it an entire month without any ice cream, mostly thanks to my gluten allergy and the fact the boyfriend likes gluten-y ice creams.  But I did get some Friendly's frozen yogurt a few days ago, fudge berry swirl, and I am happy to report it is delicious.  Although it does have corn syrup in it, blech!! 

Writing Muse: Victor Garber

I made this new rule for myself.  I should write 1,000 words of my novel every day.

If I keep up with this, I should be finished with my first draft by April.

Now, because this might affect the frequency of my blog posts, I figured I'd tell you just a little about my book.  Starting with my current muse.

As a child, I was in the musical Godspell.  Among all the musicals I did, Godspell was probably my favorite.  Not for any religious reasons, but just because it was so much fun to put on.  The music is great and the costumes were wacky and it was just a good production.  

Now, a lot of the kids in the show rented and watched the movie before auditions, but after the HAIR debacle that occurred in my house (we rented the musical HAIR.  The VHS case said it was rated PG.  We put it in the VCR only to be greeted by a man on a horse singing about masturbation.  VCR was turned off immediately) my parents were reluctant to trust a vintage musical that claimed to be PG.

Needless to say, I didn't get a chance to see the movie until it appeared on my Netflix queue about three/four years ago.  

And imagine my shock when I realize this:

...and this are the same person!

Anyhow.  24 year old Alison was pretty smitten with 1970's 24 year-old Victor Garber.  Something about his smile, I think.  So I got to Googling, like you do, and learned a little bit about him.

The one thing that really stuck out to me was that both his parents died from complications of Alzheimer's, and he had cared for both of them.  Although I didn't know much about Alzheimer's at that time, I did think, Isn't that genetic? and Wow, that must be scary for him.  I wonder if he worries he's going to develop it, too.

After more googling (both about VG and Alzheimer's) I learned that Victor has diabetes--and having diabetes increases your risk of developing Alzheimer's.  Even scarier.

The very thought of someone living with that fear and battling those odds prompted me to write a short story about what the life of someone in a similar situation might be like.  This short story (entitled V, as in Victor.  I couldn't bare to change the first name...it's too strong.) then proceeded to be rejected for publication, and in one of the rejection letters an editor said to me, "This is more of a first chapter than a short story."

Those were the magic words, causing me to take a step back and look at my work.  There was a much larger story here.  So I started to tell it.

I wrote Victor a letter last March, after speaking directly with his agent.  I sent him the first chapter of the novel and a letter explaining what I hoped to accomplish with it (I'm looking to increase awareness of Alzheimer's, clear up common misconceptions and donate some of the books proceeds to the Alzheimer's Association) , and thanking him for inspiring me.  He never wrote back, and while I know actors are extraordinarily busy and probably don't have time to answer the mail of strangers, I did kinda expect some kind of response, even if it was only a form letter.  

Sometimes I still cross my fingers as I go to the mailbox.

I just want to know that he read it.  Even if he thinks it's crap.  Even if it was offensive to him and he's angry that I've taken liberties with his life.

In the time since then, I have been doing extensive research and even interviewing Alzheimer's care givers, family members and patients.  I'm learning so much about this tragic disease, but let me tell you--constructing an accurate portrayal of an Alzheimer's patient is very difficult work.  I just hope I can capture everything in a way that will help people.

So, in case you all were wondering, THAT is why I seem so obsessed with Victor Garber at times.  (I've always based my own characters off of actors to a point, and sometimes watching their movies can help me to visualize how they may act in a certain situation.)

And it's also why I look so bummed when I return from my mailbox.

In the off-chance that Miss Fey ever Googles herself...

So, after seeing TONS of people surf into my website after googling "Tina Fey Naked" (or some variation of those words) I discovered that my blog is the THIRD entry that comes up when you type that into Google.

My first thought is, "Oh my God I wonder if Tina googles herself!"

It's possible, right?
Who isn't guilty of a little vanity-search on the web now and again?

I mean, based on the read I got from Tina's personality in Bossypants, I'm fairly certain there are no actual naked pictures of her floating around, so she likely has no cause to be worried and google herself.  BUT.  Maybe she's checking to see if someone photoshopped her head onto someone's nude body.

It could happen.

(Dear Tina:  if you do read this, you're kinda my hero--but I'm not posting naked pictures of you, so no worries there.  Was supposed to meet you in NYC for your Bossypants signing in 2011 but missed it and was devastated but tried to be a big girl about it all.  That's really all I can say without rambling incoherently.  God, I'm even a stupidly nervous fan on my blog.  Probably better I didn't meet you, it might have gone something like this:

)

Anyway.

Carry on.

Style Icon: Zooey Deschanel

I love Zooey Deschanel.

I know about the whole Manic Pixie Dream Girl thing.  And I get it.  I know all her characters are pretty much the same (even though she's been quoted as saying she's been quoted as saying "I don't wanna do the same thing over and over again because that's, well, first of all that's no fun."   face it, Zooey.  Your characters could use some variety.  That's not to say I want her to change, though.  To be honest, I love her quirky characters.  I see a lot of me in them, and I'm sure other girls do, too, which is probably why she's so popular.  

One of my exes told me I looked like her (and more recently, someone told me I looked like her sister Emily...so I guess I've got the whole Deschanel Family Resemblance thing going!) 

Okay I'll be honest.  The main reason I even posted about Zooey was to showcase those top two photos.  I've had them saved on my hard drive forever.  I love everything about both of those outfits!  (Um, except I'd wear them with leggings instead of nylons--DON'T GET MAD, weirdo Twitter guy!) 

Zooey is also probably the reason I toy with the idea of having bangs now and again.

(This was my first day of temping at my office job a couple years ago. It doesn't feel like that long ago, but when I look at how much my hair has grown in that time, I'm shocked.  It was ages ago.)

But with the exception of the side-swept bang (and the very first day of wearing bangs after a haircut!) they usually don't work out too well on me.

I really do need a haircut though...hmm.

After seeing Zooey's nails on the red carpet last night though, I realized one thing--

(We'd totally be bffls if we hung out in real life, cuz my bffl Lauren had this same EXACT thing done with her nails 6 years ago--and when she asked for it the manicurist looked at her like she was insane.)