Just to let you all know (in case you didn't already), we're getting married in 100 days. One hundred.
And I'm freaking out, because I still have soooo much to do.
Just, whoa.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Just some stuff...
It's been awhile, cause we've been so ridiculously busy. We've been trying to unpack, we've had tons of law school events, we got a kitten, and Sean's starting to study for midterms.
We really like our new place. It seems kinda shady on the outside, but the people that we live around are so nice. We've met a couple of our neighbors, and while we won't be playing dinner party any time soon (or ever), we trust them completely.
Sean and I went to two law school events this past weekend - a poker tournament and a party thrown by his professor. The poker tourney was a lot of fun (I learned how to play blackjack from real dealers), and Sean stayed in for quite a few rounds. It was a fundraiser, so he wasn't playing for money. We did win a raffle though - four tickets to the Royals' game on Thursday! They're box seats and come with a parking pass, so I'm pretty excited. Yay for doing things around town!! The dinner party at the prof's house was awesome too. Law school is broken into sections, and each year in each section has about 50 people. We got to mingle with the law students and their significant others, and enjoy appetizers and drinks made by the professor's awesome wife (and the cider was amazing). The professor is apparently a pretty handy guy - he does woodwork on the side. He showed us a room that he had just done wood cabinetry (as in, 3 of the walls), crown molding, and flooring on himself (including all the detail work - it was fantastic), as well as some grandfather clocks he had made. Holy cow awesome. It was great to meet some people too, and I found it especially cool that most of the law students are actually older - many already have other masters and MBAs. There's one guy who's father owns an Okinawan karate school here, and I might join - he knows my old Sensei and some of the students from my school, so I know it's a legit school (unlike other, "buy-a-belt" karate schools). It was great to meet people.
We also got a kitten!! We adopted Ella, a little black kitten who's 4 1/2 months old from Wayside Waifs here in KC. It's a GREAT no-kill shelter, and if anyone is looking for animals in the KC area, I highly recommend them. We were able to play with any cat or kitten we wanted to, and there were even some that free-roamed. It was such an awesome experience. I can't say much for the dog side, since I didn't want to tempt Sean, but the cat side and the people who worked there were awesome. They even gave us a list of vets with free first visits! Ella's all up to date on most of her shots, but she'll need one more booster at her vet appointment on Saturday (she wasn't old enough). I'll have to post a picture later though, because Miss Ella has already managed to chew through my computer's power cord. We're still working on the training thing ;) We've gotten her chew toys though (she's teething), and things are much better.
Now, off to unpack a bit more (and nurse a mild migraine I've had all day. blah.)
We really like our new place. It seems kinda shady on the outside, but the people that we live around are so nice. We've met a couple of our neighbors, and while we won't be playing dinner party any time soon (or ever), we trust them completely.
Sean and I went to two law school events this past weekend - a poker tournament and a party thrown by his professor. The poker tourney was a lot of fun (I learned how to play blackjack from real dealers), and Sean stayed in for quite a few rounds. It was a fundraiser, so he wasn't playing for money. We did win a raffle though - four tickets to the Royals' game on Thursday! They're box seats and come with a parking pass, so I'm pretty excited. Yay for doing things around town!! The dinner party at the prof's house was awesome too. Law school is broken into sections, and each year in each section has about 50 people. We got to mingle with the law students and their significant others, and enjoy appetizers and drinks made by the professor's awesome wife (and the cider was amazing). The professor is apparently a pretty handy guy - he does woodwork on the side. He showed us a room that he had just done wood cabinetry (as in, 3 of the walls), crown molding, and flooring on himself (including all the detail work - it was fantastic), as well as some grandfather clocks he had made. Holy cow awesome. It was great to meet some people too, and I found it especially cool that most of the law students are actually older - many already have other masters and MBAs. There's one guy who's father owns an Okinawan karate school here, and I might join - he knows my old Sensei and some of the students from my school, so I know it's a legit school (unlike other, "buy-a-belt" karate schools). It was great to meet people.
We also got a kitten!! We adopted Ella, a little black kitten who's 4 1/2 months old from Wayside Waifs here in KC. It's a GREAT no-kill shelter, and if anyone is looking for animals in the KC area, I highly recommend them. We were able to play with any cat or kitten we wanted to, and there were even some that free-roamed. It was such an awesome experience. I can't say much for the dog side, since I didn't want to tempt Sean, but the cat side and the people who worked there were awesome. They even gave us a list of vets with free first visits! Ella's all up to date on most of her shots, but she'll need one more booster at her vet appointment on Saturday (she wasn't old enough). I'll have to post a picture later though, because Miss Ella has already managed to chew through my computer's power cord. We're still working on the training thing ;) We've gotten her chew toys though (she's teething), and things are much better.
Now, off to unpack a bit more (and nurse a mild migraine I've had all day. blah.)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
It's been a long weekend...
Truth. (First: many thanks to our families who helped move us! We couldn't have done it without them!)
We've moved, we've purchased new floor lamps, and I'm slowly starting to unpack. So slowly. I'd like to actually unpack, and make it feel like our apartment. We're getting there. Slowly but surely. I've gotten the kitchen mostly done, and the bedroom too. The living room and office? Eeeeehhhh that's another story :p
Honestly, it would be a lot easier if two things were to happen...A) our apartment magically grew or B) storage magically grew. We need a couple bookshelves for our movies/video games, but there's not much room for them. But, it definitely challenges my organizational skills!
It's also hard transitioning from my college days to this...adult life? I've spent the last four years in a college life, with funky colors and crazy knicknacks. I've definitely grown out of that, but I'm having a hard time transitioning - I need to find a way to meld the two sides of my life.
Le sigh. I guess this is how it always is, huh?
We've moved, we've purchased new floor lamps, and I'm slowly starting to unpack. So slowly. I'd like to actually unpack, and make it feel like our apartment. We're getting there. Slowly but surely. I've gotten the kitchen mostly done, and the bedroom too. The living room and office? Eeeeehhhh that's another story :p
Honestly, it would be a lot easier if two things were to happen...A) our apartment magically grew or B) storage magically grew. We need a couple bookshelves for our movies/video games, but there's not much room for them. But, it definitely challenges my organizational skills!
It's also hard transitioning from my college days to this...adult life? I've spent the last four years in a college life, with funky colors and crazy knicknacks. I've definitely grown out of that, but I'm having a hard time transitioning - I need to find a way to meld the two sides of my life.
Le sigh. I guess this is how it always is, huh?
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Moving on Up!
I got a promotion. After 2 weeks of being out of training...I'm back in training again. But I'm excited!
I've been working in the land of outbound. Meaning, if someone breaks into your house, I'm the one who calls you (and the police) about it. It's okay, and it's certainly interesting, but it's killing me doing the same thing - for eight hours straight. I need some variety in my life! So Monday, there was a table to sign up to make the jump to inbound - and on a whim, I signed up. I figured I wouldn't start until October or so, even if I did make it. Tuesday, I had a meeting with the head 1st shift manager (who happens to be a Mizzou fan - joy!), and I got it! I'll be in training for the next 5 weeks now, and then I'll go back to my regularly scheduled shift. I'll get a pay raise of some sort, but I won't know until Friday how much - but anything is worth it. I started yesterday, and I think I'm really going to like it.
My company is strange, but neat. They only hire from within (which is awesome). Everyone HAS to work outbound and inbound - even the executive director of my branch has worked outbound. I really like the bottom-up method, because it just makes so much sense from a management point of view. How do you manage something you've never done, and have no idea about any of the specifics? It's also a very self-led organization. They don't give someone a raise - you apply for a raise. If you don't have the guts to ask to go hire, you'll stay in outbound (there are people who have been in outbound for 3 years).
I'm looking forward to moving up. It makes me feel like my degree was at least a tiny bit worth it.
I've been working in the land of outbound. Meaning, if someone breaks into your house, I'm the one who calls you (and the police) about it. It's okay, and it's certainly interesting, but it's killing me doing the same thing - for eight hours straight. I need some variety in my life! So Monday, there was a table to sign up to make the jump to inbound - and on a whim, I signed up. I figured I wouldn't start until October or so, even if I did make it. Tuesday, I had a meeting with the head 1st shift manager (who happens to be a Mizzou fan - joy!), and I got it! I'll be in training for the next 5 weeks now, and then I'll go back to my regularly scheduled shift. I'll get a pay raise of some sort, but I won't know until Friday how much - but anything is worth it. I started yesterday, and I think I'm really going to like it.
My company is strange, but neat. They only hire from within (which is awesome). Everyone HAS to work outbound and inbound - even the executive director of my branch has worked outbound. I really like the bottom-up method, because it just makes so much sense from a management point of view. How do you manage something you've never done, and have no idea about any of the specifics? It's also a very self-led organization. They don't give someone a raise - you apply for a raise. If you don't have the guts to ask to go hire, you'll stay in outbound (there are people who have been in outbound for 3 years).
I'm looking forward to moving up. It makes me feel like my degree was at least a tiny bit worth it.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Moving...again.
We're moving again this weekend.
What? Didn't we just move?
Yup...we've only been in this apartment 2 months.
We knew from the beginning that we weren't going to be here long. We're subleasing from old high school friends, as their dad has cancer and they wanted to move back in to help out/be around them more (insert prayers for the Skinner family here - they're needed). The lease ends on September 27th, and frankly, we're really not fans of this place. The people that manage it are snooty (as in, they almost didn't rent to us because we aren't married - what is this, 1945?), the place is expensive, and it's really far away and inconvenient from Sean's school.
We're excited to move though.
Our new place...it's different. It's about the same size, but it's a basement apartment so it's much darker (though, cheaper utilities!). It's in the city, so it doesn't feel as safe - but we know a few of Sean's classmates live there, so it can't be that bad. There's still a pool and work-out center. It's about 8 minutes away from Sean's school - which makes it 30 minutes from my work, but my work is all highway driving (unlike Sean's commute to school now, thanks to construction). The city thing is going to be a change for us for sure, especially me. I'm not used to living in a non-collegiate atmosphere. Even though there are a ton of universities around, it's still not primarily students. It's also not the middle-class suburbia we're used to. It's a very big change, I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'm not exactly sure what to expect.
And so now, it's packing time. Sean has a sinus infection, and, being a boy, this means that he's pretty much useless. I know it's probably mean to say, and he probably does feel like crap. But still. I hate doing all of this by myself.
What? Didn't we just move?
Yup...we've only been in this apartment 2 months.
We knew from the beginning that we weren't going to be here long. We're subleasing from old high school friends, as their dad has cancer and they wanted to move back in to help out/be around them more (insert prayers for the Skinner family here - they're needed). The lease ends on September 27th, and frankly, we're really not fans of this place. The people that manage it are snooty (as in, they almost didn't rent to us because we aren't married - what is this, 1945?), the place is expensive, and it's really far away and inconvenient from Sean's school.
We're excited to move though.
Our new place...it's different. It's about the same size, but it's a basement apartment so it's much darker (though, cheaper utilities!). It's in the city, so it doesn't feel as safe - but we know a few of Sean's classmates live there, so it can't be that bad. There's still a pool and work-out center. It's about 8 minutes away from Sean's school - which makes it 30 minutes from my work, but my work is all highway driving (unlike Sean's commute to school now, thanks to construction). The city thing is going to be a change for us for sure, especially me. I'm not used to living in a non-collegiate atmosphere. Even though there are a ton of universities around, it's still not primarily students. It's also not the middle-class suburbia we're used to. It's a very big change, I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'm not exactly sure what to expect.
And so now, it's packing time. Sean has a sinus infection, and, being a boy, this means that he's pretty much useless. I know it's probably mean to say, and he probably does feel like crap. But still. I hate doing all of this by myself.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Nixing credit card debt...
Today, I canceled and cut up three credit cards.
Though, this act alone doesn't get my anywhere near my 101/1001 goal, living credit card debt free, because well, I haven't had anything on these cards for over a year. That's right - I had cards that I haven't used in over a year. Just...hanging out. So why did I have them?
The first was my Bank of America card...it was the first credit card I got, way back to freshman year of college. At my first apartment, we had to have credit cards to live there (insurance for them to get their funds, I suppose), and so I signed up for it. I didn't actually use it often, because it had a ridiculous interest rate (we're talking like, 24% here).
The second (well, and third, they were from the same bank) were my Citi bank cards. They had great rewards, and only an 11% interest rate. I used this card sophomore and junior years of college, and pretty regularly too. But, it still doesn't beat the rates of my bank card.
The only credit cards I have now are my Kohl's charge (which is paid off every purchase, but required to have for their great deals) and my bank credit card. I love my bank card...it has a 6% interest rate, I can see it on my bank homepage, and it only has a $1,500 limit - no matter what, my spending simply cannot get out of hand. It's wonderful. We paid this card off when Sean's loans came in, but it's now been designated the "wedding card". I use it for little wedding purchases, like my shoes that I bought this past weekend. We know we can pay it off, but it's easier to keep track of. Some months are better than others money-wise, and this way, we know we're in the black in our bank account when rent comes due.
I'm excited to cut these babies up though.
Though, this act alone doesn't get my anywhere near my 101/1001 goal, living credit card debt free, because well, I haven't had anything on these cards for over a year. That's right - I had cards that I haven't used in over a year. Just...hanging out. So why did I have them?
The first was my Bank of America card...it was the first credit card I got, way back to freshman year of college. At my first apartment, we had to have credit cards to live there (insurance for them to get their funds, I suppose), and so I signed up for it. I didn't actually use it often, because it had a ridiculous interest rate (we're talking like, 24% here).
The second (well, and third, they were from the same bank) were my Citi bank cards. They had great rewards, and only an 11% interest rate. I used this card sophomore and junior years of college, and pretty regularly too. But, it still doesn't beat the rates of my bank card.
The only credit cards I have now are my Kohl's charge (which is paid off every purchase, but required to have for their great deals) and my bank credit card. I love my bank card...it has a 6% interest rate, I can see it on my bank homepage, and it only has a $1,500 limit - no matter what, my spending simply cannot get out of hand. It's wonderful. We paid this card off when Sean's loans came in, but it's now been designated the "wedding card". I use it for little wedding purchases, like my shoes that I bought this past weekend. We know we can pay it off, but it's easier to keep track of. Some months are better than others money-wise, and this way, we know we're in the black in our bank account when rent comes due.
I'm excited to cut these babies up though.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Clang Clang Clang goes the trolley...
Transportation. Sean and I have had many many a...discussion (okay, we even had a fight at one point) about this topic. It probably should not have been such a big issue, but it was. We both had our own opinions on the subject, and it we both knew that our budget was going to be drastically affected by our decision - a lot of money was involved.
So what was the argument about?
Sean, from the get-go, was adamant that our wedding party needed a limo. According to him, a limo ride is a basic privilege that every party member should have - they should be together, all the time.
I, on the other hand, had a different perspective. There have been too many times where I've seen someone's significant other (and I've even been this person) get told they cannot ride in the limo. For weddings where the SO doesn't know anyone...they're kind of left in the dark. It sucks. Limos are expensive, and on top of it, we'd have to find a way to get the wedding party home from the reception afterward.
We presented our arguments, and we compromised. We would have a limo IF all of our wedding party could bring guests onto it..which left us with this (and only this) option:
And Sean hates hummers. Sean had presented the argument that it was winter, and if one of us got stranded, he wanted all of us stranded (how loving!). Plus, it would make some awesome pictures with all of us together.
And then we found the idea of a trolley. It's much cheaper than a limo, fits up to 35 people, and it has so much character! It's not something you see at every.wedding. Meet Holly the Trolley, courtesy of Tour St. Louis:
She's enclosed, heated, and every bit of charm that I love. I'm excited. We still haven't figured out the transportation from the hall at the end of the night, but I have a feeling it will involve much carpooling. Plus, food and beverages are welcome, so we're able to bring much needed snacks, drinks, and maybe even a green shot or two...(you know, to warm us up)
So what was the argument about?
Sean, from the get-go, was adamant that our wedding party needed a limo. According to him, a limo ride is a basic privilege that every party member should have - they should be together, all the time.
I, on the other hand, had a different perspective. There have been too many times where I've seen someone's significant other (and I've even been this person) get told they cannot ride in the limo. For weddings where the SO doesn't know anyone...they're kind of left in the dark. It sucks. Limos are expensive, and on top of it, we'd have to find a way to get the wedding party home from the reception afterward.
We presented our arguments, and we compromised. We would have a limo IF all of our wedding party could bring guests onto it..which left us with this (and only this) option:
And then we found the idea of a trolley. It's much cheaper than a limo, fits up to 35 people, and it has so much character! It's not something you see at every.wedding. Meet Holly the Trolley, courtesy of Tour St. Louis:
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Two Weeks
No, this is not a quitting post. It is, yet again, a wedding post. Grin and bear it folks.
Two weeks.
I feel like this is all I'm ever told, any time I ask a question.
When should I schedule my hair trial? Two weeks before.
When should I pick out table linens? Two weeks before.
When should we discuss meal options? Two weeks before.
When should I have my final payment in? Two weeks before.
Two weeks. Two weeks. Two weeks. I starting to hate this phrase. Why? Let's go over the reasons.
A. I'm a type A personality. If I could, I would have everything set in stone now. I'd have meal options (though not numbers, obviously), hair styles, table cloths, everything. Why? Because what if I need to buy or find something extra? As a DIY bride, I can't just whip something up in two weeks.
B. I live 400 miles away and I have a full time job. I can't just "pop in after work" - visiting you means 8 hours of transportation, a full tank of gas, and a wasted weekend.
C. Two weeks from my wedding is Christmas. I don't get extra holiday time (one of the cons of working in the security business I suppose). In fact, the only reason I have Christmas off is because it's on a freaking Saturday. Otherwise, I'd be working it too. I'm sure you want to spend time with your families as well. Two weeks ain't gonna fly.
Why can't I just tell them to eff their two week policy? Because vendors act like I'm inconveniencing them. Didn't you just hear my list of reasons as to why I need this done before two weeks? Didn't you just agree with my list of reasons? Then WHY are you giving me grief?! Sooo much money is going into this gala - I want to know that you know how it's to be spent!
The worst is my church. My priest literally told me he doesn't need to know about the ceremony until the rehearsal dinner. As in, approximately 18 hours before the wedding.
/facepalm. Wedding industry of St. Charles County - you are stressing me out.
Two weeks.
I feel like this is all I'm ever told, any time I ask a question.
When should I schedule my hair trial? Two weeks before.
When should I pick out table linens? Two weeks before.
When should we discuss meal options? Two weeks before.
When should I have my final payment in? Two weeks before.
Two weeks. Two weeks. Two weeks. I starting to hate this phrase. Why? Let's go over the reasons.
A. I'm a type A personality. If I could, I would have everything set in stone now. I'd have meal options (though not numbers, obviously), hair styles, table cloths, everything. Why? Because what if I need to buy or find something extra? As a DIY bride, I can't just whip something up in two weeks.
B. I live 400 miles away and I have a full time job. I can't just "pop in after work" - visiting you means 8 hours of transportation, a full tank of gas, and a wasted weekend.
C. Two weeks from my wedding is Christmas. I don't get extra holiday time (one of the cons of working in the security business I suppose). In fact, the only reason I have Christmas off is because it's on a freaking Saturday. Otherwise, I'd be working it too. I'm sure you want to spend time with your families as well. Two weeks ain't gonna fly.
Why can't I just tell them to eff their two week policy? Because vendors act like I'm inconveniencing them. Didn't you just hear my list of reasons as to why I need this done before two weeks? Didn't you just agree with my list of reasons? Then WHY are you giving me grief?! Sooo much money is going into this gala - I want to know that you know how it's to be spent!
The worst is my church. My priest literally told me he doesn't need to know about the ceremony until the rehearsal dinner. As in, approximately 18 hours before the wedding.
/facepalm. Wedding industry of St. Charles County - you are stressing me out.
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