Oh what a world my parents gave me

 I saw a beaver in a ditch today.

It was alive, busily doing whatever a beaver has to do in a ditch behind a currently empty casino and also a very not empty Home Depot.  Then, a little further along the same road, in the same ditch, there was a flock of about eight chickens, also busily doing things in that ditch. Presumably things unrelated to the beaver. 

I haven't seen the neighbor's chickens lately, though I hear them occasionally.  And also what I presume is a goat, because only a goat could possibly sound like that. 

I have instead seen (at my bird feeders) lots and lots and OMG so many chickadees and junkos and sparrows and finches and hummingbirds, and a pair of morning doves, a chipmunk, and several squirrels. 

I thought one of the squirrels was a red squirrel, instead of the normal grey ones around here - but turns out it was probably a Douglas squirrel instead.  Neat!

I'm watching the birds and squirrels a lot, because I'm home a lot right now.  Not as much as I think I should be, but while my store is closed to customers, we're still going in to pack online orders and answer phones, and accept shipments that were already on the train before all this came down.  "We" being the store manager, the assistant manager, and me, mostly, pulling four hour shifts 4 days a week.  everybody else on staff is taking paid administrative leave, or using up vacation time or sick time as they see fit.

So.  I'm mostly home, watching birds, and playing the new Animal Crossing game, which is fabulous and comforting and super chill.

And I saw a beaver in a ditch today, which was awesome.  :D

 Winter is moving in very fast -- it's supposed to be in the 30s (Fahrenheit, that is) on Saturday!  I'll have to turn my heat on Friday night.  I was sort of hoping to delay that a little longer, but it's already getting uncomfortably chilly here by the computer, and temps in the 30s are definitely worth the heating bill.  Although its supposed to warm up a little again after that . . .

I'm probably going to go to the Social Security office on Friday to start the process of changing my name -- I haven't gotten around to it since I got married.  No hurry, really, but I'd like to get it done.  Doesn't seem to complicated -- just present the SSA with a certified copy of my marriage certificate, then when I get my new card, take that to the DMV to update my license.  The rest of the process (informing the bank and credit card companies, HR at work, my landlord, etc) can trickle out after that.  Like I said, there's no hurry really.  Not about that . . .

My lease is up at the end of February -- I'll have lived in this apartment for nine years by then.  Nine!  Chad is a bit amazed by that -- he's moved around a lot more than I have ( I tend to put down roots easily, and like to nest).  We're not going to renew the lease, as we're moving to Seattle instead.

And THAT'S what's snuck up on me a bit.  We're moving!  Across the country!  In three months!  (by car! with three cats! /o\)

So, between now and then, we need to:

• pare down a bit more of my collected clutter -- books mostly.  I have a lot of books -- and anything else we don't want to lug across the states -- hardly any of the furniture, most of which were free hand-me-downs anyway -- so that we can reasonably move everything in one van/truck, possibly with a trailer hitched to it (though if we get everything VERY pared down we can save a bit of money by not renting the trailer).  
•  
• Buy a van or truck that we can use to move across the country and then keep around -- this will allow Chad to do some contract work for his step dad right away.  He says he's got plenty of work out there, and not enough people in the area to do it, so having wheels = instant work for Chad.  It also means we can live a bit further out of the downtown area and a bit further off the bus lines, which means the rent might be significantly lower.  That's good.  Basically, we'll use the money we would have used to rent a uhaul and pay for a more expensive downtown apartment to buy a vehicle we can move with and then keep.
•  
• talk my bosses into convincing the store in Seattle to accept a transfer so I have a job out there waiting for me.  This seems totally doable, but the store out there is quite a bit smaller than the one I work at now, and I worry that they simply won't have a position available.  But I'm optimistic!  My bosses like me, and I don't have so much seniority that my paygrade would give a new store pause.  We won't really be able to put this in motion until after the holidays, but I'm going to be pushing hard in January -- if it turns out not to be feasible, I'm going to need to find something else, fast.
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• repaint the walls in my apartment so I can get the I-Painted-My-Walls deposit back from my landlord.  That money will be REALLY useful for the move.
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• Get my cats in for full check ups and update their shots.  Hopefully switch Pico from his steroid pills to regular injections or even an inhaler -- either would be more expensive than the pills, but we worry about the side effects of long term steroid use.  I need to look into getting them microchipped too -- I'd hate for them to get loose somewhere between here and Seattle.  On that note, I should get them used to wearing a harness, and to going on car rides -- once we buy a vehicle, I'll take them for short trips around the city.  Hopefully they'll get used to it a bit.  I'll also talk to the vet about some gentle sedatives, so they can be calm for the three day trip.  Honestly the cats will be the most stressful part about moving, i think.
•  
• FIND AN APARTMENT.  There's a few that look great on the internet, but they won't be available anymore by the time we need them.  And it's not easy to judge a place from almost 2000 miles away!  I just keep telling myself that whatever place we find, it doesn't need to be permanent.  Once we're in the city, we can find a better place to settle if necessary.  

Hey, if any of you are familiar with the Seattle area, have any tips on where to look?  The store I hope to transfer to is in the University district, so we've mostly been looking in the Northgate, and Bellevue (sp?) areas, since that would be reasonably easy to get to.  Not that we wouldn't like downtown, just, like I said, the expense is less further out.  

EDIT:  There are more stores in the area than I thought!  Which makes the transfer even more likely, as well as potentially widening the area we can look for apartments in.  Although, now I guess any heavy duty apartment hunting may have to wait until we can tell WHICH of the stores is my best option . . .

AHHHH, I'm excited!  But it's starting to make me nervous, too! 

 I am thinking of learning to make soap, and candles, both for fun and for a little supplemental income.  Nothing elaborate, just selling to friends and family, maybe on Etsy?  Or some other crafty website.  You know, if I don't set fire to my kitchen or whatever.  

I'm looking at tips and guides, and checking out books and such.  Getting ideas and making plans.  I'm pretty excited -- even the planning is fun.  To start with, I probably will just do the melt-and-pour sort of soap -- buying ready made bases and adding my own scents and additives.  I don't have the set up to deal with lye, or with curing the soap for weeks at a time (there's no way I could keep the cats away from it).  So I'll have to pay attention to the ingredients when I order the bases, since I won't be controlling all of that myself.  I'll probably make some sort of stamp to carve with a logo I design (that'll be really fun!), and I'm already thinking about packaging options.  

For candles, I'll probably keep it pretty simple -- they seem easier than soaps on average, and I'll probably use a bunch myself.  I love candles.  

Of course,  I won't be able to start until I get an actual paycheck, which won't be for . . . two weeks? At least?  So that I can buy supplies.

But I'd thought I'd ask -- what sort of scents do you like?  What kind of shapes? 

Personally, I like citrusy scents, or wintery ones (like cinnamon apple and pumpkin spice) for candles, and things like peach and vanilla for soap.  I like pillar candles, and spheres, as well as the sort that come in a simple glass jar.  I like rounded rectangles for soap, ovals and such, shapes that fit well in your hand.  

What do you like?  And would you like some?  Once I get a chance to actually make things, I'll probably give a bunch away while I'm learning the ropes.

 Two interviews today -- the first one went quite well (I think -- I'm starting to get paranoid) and it's for a job I really really think I'd love, and do well at, and that would fit into my future plans neatly.  The second was brisk and non committal and for a job I'd probably enjoy well enough at a place I could walk to, and where I could POTENTIALLY make a lot of money, at least some days, but that would definitely not be a long term sort of thing.  

If the first one doesn't call me tomorrow, I'd call them the next day (normally I'd hesitate, but they actually told me to go ahead and call to check up, because they don't know when they'll be done with interviews) because I WANT that job.

If the second one never calls?  Eh.  It's a back up anyway.

In other news, it's really hot and humid outside right now.  Ick.

 No word yet from any of my job prospects . . . For that last one, at least, that's not unexpected (THEY'RE not in a hurry, after all), but I expected better from some of them.  It's frustrating.

I've sent out a few more applications, buffed up my resume a little more -- there's not that much on it, really.  I've only had four actual jobs in my life, and only two in the last eight years (I stay where I'm comfortable!  Which is good in some ways, but doesn't put a lot of experience on a resume) and my degree is in English -- it's about as useful in a job hunt as. . . some not very useful thing.  If I had a car I'd have more options, but I'm pretty much stuck looking in the downtown area or along the bus lines (and by that I mean the main bus lines -- the ones out to the suburbs would be pretty complicated to manage, schedule wise.  Though I suppose it's something I may have to consider).   Luckily, there are A LOT of restaurants downtown and along the bus lines!  

I don't actually want to go back to working at a restaurant, but I've always kept the possibility open -- it can be good money, and there are always restaurants hiring somewhere, but the hours and the stress and the irritations are daunting, especially after spending years at a job where I don't have to wear an apron, and where I can sit down every once in a while.

Oh well, right?  

In the meantime, I've been playing lots of video games, and trying to get better at knitting.  It'd be pretty relaxing if I didn't have bills to pay . . .

 So, for reasons that don't need exploring at this juncture, I'm looking for a new job.  Which.  Ahahaha.  Ha.  (I really liked my job.  I haven't had to job hunt in more than five years, and I'm pretty out of practice?  Also, resumes are ????)  My savings are non existant (I was not expecting to have to find a new job . . .) but they did pay out my remaining vacation time, so I can pay rent for June.  The OTHER bills . . . . well, lets just say I better find a new job really soon.  Really.  Soon.

The Boy is the best Boy, and he'll help out as much as he can.  But I can't mooch of him for too long -- it wouldn't be fair, and also not feasible. Luckily, Top Ramen packets were on sale at the grocery store!

In the meantime, between application sending and want ads searching, I'm posting some stuff on craigslist, and I'll be bringing a few bags of old books to Half-Price Books tomorrow (they won't bring much, but hey, grocery money!)  

Shipping seems like a hassle, so I'm just posting my stuff locally for now -- if no one bites on craigslist I'll look into putting the manga, at least, up on eBay, since that seems like a better place for it, really. 

In the meantime, would any of you fine folk be in the market for an ereader?  I could ship these pretty painlessly, at least within the states.

I've got a NOOK Tablet (one of the older ones, but it's in great shape) with 5 different cases, a screen protector, and its charger that I've posted for 40 dollars.  And I put up my NOOK Simple Touch as well -- no charger for this one, but they're not hard to get hold of -- for $20.  If you want one?  Let me know.  We can arrange shipping, depending on what that turns out to run.

Also, if anyone would be interested in some second hand manga, I can tell you what I'm trying to sell -- it's a mixed bag, with a few complete series, and a lot of incomplete sets and first volumes.

Anyway, I hope everything is going well for you!  And wish me luck, would you?  I could use some.

 I feel like I'm missing things!  I've been a bit absent lately, my to-read list is not shrinking, and my to-write list just keeps growing!  But.  Well, so I picked up Skyrim months and months after everyone else, okay.  I have a lot of catching up to do.  (I'm only level seven!  Unacceptable.)

Please feel free to poke me if you want my attention!  I'll have to rein myself back into a writing headspace pretty soon anyway -- can't keep wandering around Skyrim for TOO long.  Maybe just a few more days.  :D

Oh, and also, I'm an aunt again!  Sister's second boy.  Babies are really pretty boring, on a average, but he does have the most adorably grumpy newborn frown.  <3

About a week ago I brought home this little guy:


( pictures of the new guy )