I Got the Job!

That's right, I got the job at Social Security that I interviewed for last week! That means a raise in pay, better benefits, and a normal schedule!

High five to me!

Moving "Fun", as Promised

So I promised moving updates and now it's time to deliver.

I'm currently washing the sheets and comforters (that's right, plural on the comforters) from Paul's bed. I'm pretty sure I didn't even wash the comforter and blanket from my bed when I moved...thelast two times. Why I'm doing it now is beyond me.

I don't have to tell you that it's the day before Halloween, because the date is posted at the top of this. That being said, I haven't really watched a Halloween-themed movie yet and that makes me sadder than it reasonably should. I got "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" for Christmas last year but it's been in the very back of a storage unit, and therefore unreachable, since August 20. I think my dvds will be the first thing I unpack after everything is in the apartment and I'll watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" while I'm unpacking everything else.

Okay, so apparently I don't have as many moving updates as I thought I did. There will surely be more tomorrow.

It should be noted that I love the movie "Sydney White". I don't care what anyone says, it's really amusing and actually clever. Don't you judge me because it stars Amanda Bines and seems completely ridiculous. Just give it a chance, people.

Today I'm annoyed because...

I've been calling beneficiaries, aka old people, for roughly two hours and have talked to about six people. Of those six, 1 made an appointment, 1 had to talk to her husband before making an appointment, 1 is having back surgery on the exact day I was trying to schedule an appointment, 1 already had some sort of additional medicare plan, 1 said that the woman I was trying to reach wasn't home, and 1 was an automated message saying that the woman did not take phone solicitations and ordered me to add her to my "do not call" list. Fortunately, I don't really care that much because I'm not getting commission for making appointments and have no incentive to be doing someone else's work.

I haven't heard anything from Social Security yet. I called Tuesday and they said they hadn't made any decisions but I'm getting more and more worried every day that I haven't heard because they're waiting until the end to tell people who didn't get the job and that I'm on of those people. I might just go crazy if I have to stay where I am. Just saying.

I don't have speakerphone on my work phone. And while it's a small thing, it would just be a lot more convenient to have it since I'm currently on a conference call and I don't really know how long it's going to last and I'd prefer my arm not fall asleep.

The people who own the place that we reserved a Uhaul from last night are trying to rip us off. I looked on the Uhaul website today and they charge .59 a mile. These people charge .79. I called today to cancel it and they said they would call me back to let me know if there would be a charge but they still haven't done so. Okay, just got in touch with them. They cancelled it and they aren't going to charge us. I guess I'm not annoyed by that anymore.

My conference call was supposed to start 10 minutes ago. Still no one there. So I've been listening to really bad instrumentals and waiting...and waiting...and waiting.

I still haven't received my reimbursement from work for the 1,000+ miles I drove earlier this month. I was told I'd get it last week, but I didn't. Then I was told I'd get it Tuesday, but I didn't. Now I'm being told it should be deposited to my account tomorrow. Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be?

My Life Has Come Full Circle

I was planning on waiting to share this story until I could go to my parents' house, rifle through pictures, and find proof , scan said-proof onto my mom's computer, email said-proof to myself and then save it somewhere on my computer . That is just too much work so you're going to have to take my word for it.

Last weekend Paul and I went to Homecoming at Christopher Newport (hereafter referred to as CNU). CNU, for those who don't know, is a dry campus. They don't allow a drop of alcohol on their campus, even if the embiber is 21 or older. This, naturally, was alarming for me as I went to Roanoke College where classes are sometimes held at the bar and the biggest, drunkest party of the year is held, you guessed it, on campus. In celebration of this year's homecoming, the school decided to hold a tailgate prior to the game that would allow those in attendance to legally consume alcohol on the campus that forbade them from doing so for four (or more, who knows, I don't judge their education plans) long years. All you had to do was buy a special orange tailgating parking tag for what I took to be the rather hefty price of $20.00 and they could drink to their little hearts' content without being hassled by anyone. And after years of on-campus-consuming-suppression, these guys did it up right. There was corn hole and grilling and, in one very interested instance, a satellite dish that was broadcasting ESPN all morning to one incredibly prepared group of people.

As I stood in my muppet gloves, nursing a beer and not fully appreciating this momentous occasion quite as much as everyone around me was, I was suddenly transported back to a very warm day in Richmond when I was 10 years old and in the 4th grade. On this, the second day of Spiller Primary School's "Tour of Virginia" that included Monticello, Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Richmond (far from all-encompassing if you ask me), I was standing outside of the state capital, having just walked past the governor's mansion. For whatever reason, I looked up and back toward the mansion that we had just passed, and saw someone familiar, someone from my tv. I saw who I was absolutely positive, was our then-governor, George Allen. I said as much to my chaperone and the other girls in my group. The girls were uninterested as they were 10 and distracted by thought of the issue Teen Beat that awaited them on the bus. My chaperone, however, had the gall to doubt me. In fact, she told me that I was incorrect. Ten seconds later she was the one making an ass out of herself when she was said, "No Trista, if that was the governor he'd be surrounded by lots of body guards." At that point, on of the body guards who was surrounding him looked at her and said, "Who do you think we are, ma'am?" That was perhaps the greatest "told ya so" moment of my entire life.

Anyway, just as I saw Governor George Allen on that hot day in Richmond in 1996 and no one believed me, as I looked up from my beer and my shivering, I saw Senator George Allen on a cold day in Newport News in 2009 and, surprise surprise, Paul didn't immediately believe me. Granted, he didn't tell me I was wrong, he just didn't think it would make sense for a Senator to be at CNU's homecoming tailgate. He very quickly believed me and the Political Science major in him got really excited. I immediately went into paparazzi mode and decided that I had to get my picture taken with him again because wouldn't that be awesome? And I could tell him about that day in the 4th grade and we'd have a good laugh and then we'd grab a cup of coffee and fill each other in on what's been going on for the past 13 years. Okay, so that part didn't exactly happen; however, I did tell him that 13 years ago I recognized him and my chaperone didn't and that my entire 4th grade got a picture with him (then one that I'm too lazy to track down). And I got a picture with him. And he said hopefully it wouldn't be another 13 years before we run into each other again. I think that means we're friends. Maybe I'll invite him to the wedding...probably not. At any rate, I give you now, the photographic proof of my 2009 meeting with Senator George Allen. You may one day receive proof of my 1996 meeting with Governor George Allen, but probably not.

Also, because pictures are being uploaded I have another to share. I was in Bastian, VA for work last week. Chances are you've probably never heard of it because it's in Bland County and and pretty sure they literally have no stop lights. But I was there, trying to convince the pharmacy at their only drug store that she should let a sales agent sit in her store once a week and talk to old people about Medicare. As I turned onto the road leading to the pharmacy, I saw this gem of a sign and had to capture it to share with anyone who I thought would laugh along with me.

In case you can't quite make out the words there, it says, "Welcome to Bastian, Virginia". Beneath that it says, "History and Industry". And beneath that it says absolutely nothing at all. That's correct folks, there is no history or industry in Bastian, VA, which makes me wonder why they invested the money in buying the sign.

Please feel free to notice the desolate wasteland that appears to surround this and the other signs that are essentially directing you out of town.

Poor kids...

I was on Facebook just now and saw the most ridiculous quiz ever. It was titled, "Which Jon and Kate Plus 8 Character Are You?" Okay people, I know this may be hard to believe, but they're kids, not characters! I'll admit that I watch the show and think all the kids (especially Aiden) are disgustingly cute, but they're people, not characters. And yeah, they're cute now, but they're going to end up with the most messed up psyches ever. They're going to grow up and watch their show and see just what a bitch their mom really is and they're going to find out how many people their dad was sleeping around with and it probably won't go well at all. They should have a "Gosselin Children: 15 years later" special so we can all see just what a horrible idea that show really has been for them.

Five. Five Dollar. Five Dollar Not So Subliminal Messages.

I'm multi-tasking right now. Not only am I watching a brand-new-to-me episode of Trading Spouses (so pumped!), I'm also writing this, shivering and craving just about every unhealthy food on the planet. In the middle of what promises to be a wonderful episode (health nut from L.A. trades places with woman from the Berkshires who doesn't cook and therefore orders take out for most meals), a commercial for Cici's Pizza came on and, after being annoyed that my blissful reality tv time is being interrupted by a commercial, I realized that I am the reason that there are food commercials on tv. Some people salivate over car commercials, other people get worked up when there's an ad for a Macy's sale, but play me a pizza commercial and visions of pepperoni, ham, mushrooms and pineapple will run through my head until a wedge of that carb-laden beauty is in my hand and, soon thereafter, in my mouth. Unfortunately, Paul and I are going to Newport News tonight and we're grabbing dinner on the way and, sadly, it's pretty impossible to share a pizza in the car, so my craving will have to wait until another day. ::Sigh::

The only commercials that don't make me crave the food they are touting are the Pizza Hut commercials where they have a bunch of people doing a taste test and then they tell them that the pasta/wings they are eating are really from Pizza Hut, not some fancy/local eatery in New York City/Buffalo. If I were in one of those commercials my reaction would be, "Oh? That's cool. Congrats on branching out, Pizza Hut." But these people? It's like their world has been turned upside down because Pizza Hut made some decent pasta or wings. I have never wanted to dropkick a stranger more than the ones in those commercials. I mean, one woman referred to macaroni and cheese with bacon as decadent. DECADENT! It's macaroni and cheese. There are a lot of foods in this world that could be considered decadent, but macaroni and cheese is not one of them Little Miss Aspiring Food Critic.

Correction

I realized after a good night's sleep and some facebook comments that my first post was all depressing and no happiness, which was not my intention. While the past five months have probably been the most hectic and stressful of my life, they have also been five of the happiest. If it hadn't been for Paul and the kindness of his family, I'd surely be commuting to and from Wytheville every day or living on someone's living room couch. I'd also be without the one person who can keep me calm when I'm stressed out and who can make me happy when I'm sad.

For a long time I didn't understand why I met him a month before moving four hours away, but now I think I know why. I needed him to keep me sane while I was dealing with life issues way beyond what I thought I was capable of handling.

I leave you with a promise: subsequent posts will be much more pleasant and will contain less mopeyness.

Pilot Episode....err, Post

I have never felt more out of control of my life for a prolonged amount of time than I have over the past five months. In case you weren't aware, the following is a breakdown of the last five months:

April 4: I get my acceptance letter to the graduate program at the University of Maryland's school of journalism.

April 5: I start applying for every assistantship posted on UM's website.

May...something: I sign a lease to be one of three roommates in a fabulous three bedroom apartment in Arlington. I intend to move in June 1.

May 15ish: I decide not to move to Arlington until June 31.

May 20: I go on my first date with Paul who, as it turns out, is the guy of my dreams.

June 20: My bff and roommate gets married! It has nothing to do with having no control over life, but it deserves mentioning.

June 31: I move to Arlington.

July 1: I have a 5 minute interview for an assistantship in the Office of Israeli Studies. It is only 5 minutes because I'm not an expert in the field of Israeli Studies.

July 15: I start working at the only place in Arlington not to just hire me, but to even give me an interview, Starbucks.

July 16: I don't enjoy working at Starbucks.

August 1ish: I realize that I will not be getting an assistantship, and therefore no financial aid at all, and am forced to face the reality that grad school won't be happening right now because Homey don't play over $80,000.00 in student loans.

August 20: I move back home...to live with my parents...because I'm broke. Also, every one of my personal posessions, save for my clothes, few purses, and hygiene products get shoved in a storage unit, where they remain to this very day.

August...something:Ihave an interview with Universal American. They explain what my job will be and what my salary will be if I get the position.

September...something: I get the job at Universal American and sit around Wytheville, biding my time until I can move back to Roanoke.

September 25: I move back to Roanoke where I stay with Paula and his parents.

September 28: I start working, noticing that I'm not really doing the job I was hired to do.

October 1: I get yelled at by a pharmacist while making work calls. That night, my day improves when Paul gets down on one knee at the Mill Mountain Star, asks me to marry him, and gives me the most beautiful ring known to man.

October 8: I find out my position at work has been eliminated. While my boss discussed options with me about how I can stay employed there, the moral of the story is that I technically got laid off a week and a half after I started working.

I don't like not feeling in control. I don't like not knowing whether or not I'll be able to pay my loans or where my next meal is coming from. I didn't have to worry about the latter when I moved back with my folks, but I'm still worrying about the former at this very moment. And let me tell you, it's the pits.

All that being said, since I don't have control over a whole lot right now, I decided that I would gain a little bit of control over my words, even if I can't do much to control my world.

Unfortunately, after having spent the last four years constantly working on some sort of writing project, be it an article, a story, a poem, a letter, or a paper, the assignment well has run dry. So now I have to create assignments of my own. I will consider myself a success if I don't give up on this little project within the next month, and so should you.

Plus, there's so much to look forward to! Stay tuned for:

• Moving for the fourth time in five months, and all the fun that comes with it
• Attempting to find a new job or getting licensed to sell insurance
• Wedding planning
• My first Holiday season as a "we" and "us" instead of and "I" and "me" that I've become accustomed to over the past 22 Holiday seasons.