turns out we are not failures!

who knew?!? most of you already know, but this beats doing a mass email because you check it by choice and i don't bombard your in box... but we got tickets back to vermont for wednesday, may first. we are flying direct from oaktown to beantown on jet blue with two kitties in our laps (really in bags, but they will be our carry ons). my brother will drive us to the airport, and take my car back to his house. he and his family will also house all of our stuff that is staying here (should only be a chest of drawers full of blankets and towels and things, but still it will have a home). so i think this is a good plan. and it is far cheaper and faster than driving back across the country. maybe at the end of the summer i will be ready for another cross country adventure, but i still haven't gotten over the new year's eve catastrophe. (where we shoved two screaming cats under the bed and pretended they weren't there until we woke up the next morning.) i think flying is faster and will keep the four of us as sane as we possibly can be. so that is nice. and jet blue serves snax. that is huge since we will be on there from 10(pst) am to 7pm (est). i think we will need some snacks and most airlines don't really serve food. the manix's say they will pick us up. that will be so nice to see them and hug their little pointed heads off, but soon after we get back to the v-t, we will be aching to see all of you, too. expect big hugs, and maybe some tears (but probably not, because i usually only cry at goodbyes, but dust may be another story... you know he cries all the time--mostly just since we got married...he weeps and weeps and says "why am i so trapped" through his sobs, "what was i thinking.." i just point and laugh. i've even made up a dance i call "look, he's crying again." it involves me jumping and waving frantically and pointing and saying in a sing-songy tone, "look, he's crying again! look, look, he's crying again!) i am so funny.

i'm a model, you know what i mean

well. i couldn't get any pictures of my shopping extravaganza on the blog yesterday because my photographer was ill. he spent the entire day (while i was working) asleep, then we got him some soup, and rushed home so he could take a two hour nap. the poor boy was hurting. luckily, we woke up today and he was better. much better. so our morning was spent with me doing a small fashion show complete with pictures so that you guys could see my purchases from tuesday.

the boots (not the super white legs). (again, the boots) still with tags and box said they cost somebody $260, but i got them (NIB) for $10. as you might be able to tell, they can be folded down or worn up. nice huh. i think they are good. and i can't wait to show them off on those chilly brattleboro nights. watch out, vermont!

sweet new jeans. cute pockets, but i didn't think a butt shot was appropriate. i'm not a real model, i just play one in my house.

ok. so i was saving the butt shot, but those pockets are bedazzled. and really aren't you more inclined to love me when i wear my green jeans with bedazzled pockets? now those of you who looked up the leslie hall, might remember that she collects gem sweaters. i think this may be a whole new realm for her. or maybe i am her evil nemesis--keeper of the gem pants!!! who knows. also....

how could i not get them when they came with that swanky belt. how is a girl to say no to green jeans with a metallic, pleather belt. i mean, seriously. i don't even know how those green jeans were still in the store when i got there. they are so hot. again. watch out vermonters. we're coming!!!

today was a good day

sunny and chilly. but today was a good day/ i didn't have to use my a.k.
i used all my shopping points today. and boy howdy. how did i win. i went to crossroads, a secondhand store that sells high endish things. i got two pairs of pants and a pair of brown boots for $30. i found some pants for quinn, but i didn't get a hold of her in time to see if they would fit. then i went down to our shopping district (4th street). when quinn called, i talked to her for a while and then went to visit dust at work. he is so cute in his little yellow apron. i'll have to take the camera next time so you guys can see it.
so aside from shopping, what was so different, you may ask. well... it is simple really. things are finally getting finished. abby and glenn got the tax information, so we no longer have to worry about the taxes. thank you glenn. my school got my final (that i took 3/13) yesterday. so soon my organic chem class really will be done. thank you big brain and postal service. and i ordered a pocketbook from ebay today. thank you power seller. my dreams are coming true. now we only have to find a place to live and get tickets home. yesterday, i got next wednesday off of work to go to the baseball game. go sox. and then i quit (give two weeks notice) the running shoe job in two weeks. so things are finally wrapping up. i am happy too, because i was beginning to lose sleeop. i hope the living situation gets worked out soon. i don't mind paying two rents for april as long as i know we will have a place that will have both us and the kitties. then dust can work to his heart's content and me too. so we will be home within a month. we just have to talk to the manix's about when is a good time to pick us up in boston. thanks to hilary, we found super cheap tix, but only to boston. so stop worrying about me. i am gonna make it. and i look good, too. new boots and pants and all. :) well, i must go, i have to pick up dust from work. i have already cleaned the house, folded the laundry, and started our pizza dinner. man, i am productive. love to all. and when dust gets home i will have him take pictures of all my nice new stuff. get ready!

i forgot to tell you...

one bit more of good news: skinny pants are so out. every store i go into has filled themselves with wide leg pants. thank goodness. you all know how i hate skinny jeans. maybe now both girls and boys will stop looking like they are wearing tights. i can not wait to see more wide legs and less tights. that makes me happy. we will all forget the skinny jean phenomenon soon enough. stay strong!!

strugglin'

so i have a few things on my mind. i still have not heard about my chemistry test. i know the test was mailed on st. patties day, and it has to go all the way across the country to maine, but i really am ready to know what i got. and i know i need to get started on part deux of the class so i can start school in september. help a brotha out. just let me know. please.
also i am having a hard time working. not for any other reason than the fact that being surrounded by people who are fancy has made me want to be a little fancier. not such a bad thing. there is a pocketbook i want, some pants and a jacket. but i can't get any of these things yet because i have to pay the rent. as you know i am used to treating myself. so it is hard for me to be grown up and show discretion and not make any purchases. i am trying. but i do tend to get a little more upset than i should when i think about all the things i want, you know. is that normal? dustin told me this morning that i tend to be impulsive when it comes to buying things. probably this is true, but it was not what i wanted to hear. and i figured out, if i work two more weeks, the rent will be paid, and i can get the pocketbook. then we'll work on the pants and jacket. impulsive, my eye. i am working. i just want to get myself something so i don't feel like i am working for nothing. i am a selfish one. but i feel like i miss out on so much because of a job i don't really agree with, you know. i didn't get to spend the week with my parents, i missed a whole day of dan and rose, andy and melissa are coming this weekend (and i start working saturdays then). so i will miss them, too. i know i am just feeling sorry for myself.
one good note. we went to see be kind rewind. michele gondry directed it. he has done several great music videos and the science of sleep. i am sure he has done more, but i forget. i like the way he uses his imagination to tell the stories he tells as opposed to a huge budget. (he may get a big budget for his movies, but they all have a "diy" feel to them. i thought the movie was cute. i liked the reenactments of all the movies they did. it was fun to see a movie that i felt like i hadn't seen before, you know. with romantic comedies you get the formula: boy meets girl-something goes wrong + other person must be wooed back = they live happily ever after. with comedy you get: a group of regular people trying to over come some ridiculous obstacle+ hilarity ensuing = things are fine--funny but fine. this movie had a little of that...jack black gets irradiated+ erases all the movies in the store + hilarity ensues....but it still felt original. is that silly? i'm sure, but i needed a good laugh, and that sufficed.
i have been nothing but cold today. it has been so warm out. everyone is in shorts or tee shirts. i am cold. i got on my hoodie--hood up. i hope everything is ok, because i have to get this rent paid. the sooner the better. then i can start in on my selfish tirades. but i will look good.

wow

we entertained the fam this week. it was nice to have them, but sometimes i forget how funny they are. we went to my brother's almost every day. so that was nice. they really like that baby. one day, my ma and i babysat for four hours while they went to the dmv. that baby erupts every other time she looks at me. so it was a long four hours for me. my parents were smitten. especially my dad. he really likes babies, and man, did that little girl cling to him. it was so cute.

three of the days they were here, i had to work. so that left dust to be the entertainer. man, is he a good one. who else could entertain the in laws (please read as my family more than "in laws") for a full day on their own? but he never complained. he even said he had a good time. so that was nice. you know how worried/upset i got when i had to work. but in two weeks i give my notice. just enough time to pay the rent and buy my dream pocketbook. i can't wait. so the whole thing is not a total loss, you know?

here is the run down of the family visit.
sunday night:
dust and i make mac and chee, salad and asparagus. we sit around and do wii fitness. turns out my dad is 57 and my mom is 45. not bad considering i was 47 (note the two years older than my mom. my life is just sad!) and dust was 22.
monday:
i work until 2. the three of them go to bette's (betty's for those of you that have been here) for lunch. then pick me up and go to my brother's work for a winery tour and tasting. it was nice. we had dinner at our favorite mexican restaraunt in calistoga and home we all came.

tuesday was a day of work:
not any kind of work we get paid for. my family woke up and went to napa. we were there at 11. my brother took off work early, and we got his car jumped and to the mechanic, we got him car insurance, and we got his house spotless. we have a saying in our house "mom clean". it is pretty much the cleanest you can get an area. so clean that the walls are scrubbed with cleaner as well as any other surface. there is no dust, no dirt, no little piles. it is a bit sickening, but it makes my ma so happy when it is done. she and karen able are the only two women i know who have perfected this technique. it is amazing to see the mom clean in action. we had lunch at four and came back to berkeley by six. my dad held a baby all day. so i think the day was successful. when we got back to berkeley, we got to go to the farmer's market to see dust work at his stand. that was nice. then i got word that dan and rose were coming that night. fancy. dust went to dinner with them at our mexican restaraunt that serves the mojitos, and i took my parents to zachary's, a chicago style pizza place. mmmmmm.



wednesday:
i worked selling shoes. a lot of shoes. one man not only wanted women's shoes because they were pretty, he wanted them two sizes too small so his foot didn't look "huge an bloaty". it was awesome. he picked these really nice pink and purple shoes that no one else buys because they are not good for any one's feet, but maybe two sizes too small, it doesn't make a difference. who knows. one man refused to let me even see his feet because he had not had a pedicure. i love this town. that night we went into the city to meet up with marcia with dan and rose. it was a night of laughing and stiff drinks and mexican food. not so bad. we got to hear about rose in africa. we heard about dan's senior thesis. we showed them leslie hall, and rose was in awe of those gold spandex pants. turns out even she would not wear them. it was nice to see them. they are really funny kids. we are trying to plan a trip for us and marcia to go see them in portland. that would be a ton of fun. watch out nine hour drive. we got two redheads in the car and we are a little crazy. no family visit for me on wednesday.
now as far as family business goes. this day was the day my uncle bill came into town from la. he is my dad's best friend. they have the same goofy sense of humor and they have known eachother since their acting days at cbs. so they go back a ways. so it was nice they got to spend a little time together. they all went up to napa and my brother made dinner for them all while they oooohed and aaaaahed over that emma drew. so i know they were in complete heaven.

thursday.
up to napa we go. dan and rose go back to portland. my brother needed to go to the dmv to register his car. nice. wait until the parents come and then have them and their out of town friend spend their vacation at the dmv. i only joke about this, but it did happen. we did, however, get burgers and shakes at taylors refresher. so the day was not a complete loss. and my uncle bill showed us the video of his most recent trip to russia. so that was good. it was nice to get to see him at least for a little while. he is my godfather after all. so that is nice.
we took unkle bill back to the airport thursday evening. and my parents and dust and i went for a delicious dinner at pf changs. we also enjoyed stiff drinks. nothing soothes a stressed out mother like a stiff cosmo. my dad had the hindricks gin and tonic. it was nice to see them cut loose and have a free moment. i think they forgot they were on vacation.

friday:
i get up to sell more shoes. most of the people i helped were in their fifties looking to run a marathon in october. so that was inspiring. and it made me think,"what am i doing with my time?" there is no training. no real running. nothing too cool. but i got off at 6:30 and the fam and dust picked me up. they had been to sausalito, a little hippie town on the other side of the golden gate bridge. that means they saw the ocean, too. that is my ma's favorite. so that makes me happy. they drove over the golden gate bridge into san fran. they went to the cliff's house right on the ocean. they admired expensive homes with real yards in the city (those ain't cheap!), they went to the museum and saw the real "thinker" statue. and they saw a seal. so the day was not a complete loss. when they picked me up i heard all of this was incredibly jealous. i want to see all of those things. that would have been way better than selling shoes. but again i can buy my dream pocketbook in just two weeks. so i can make it.
they picked me up at 6:30, and we came back to our house to make dinner. they had picked up the makings at trader joe's earlier in the day, too. man, they were busy. we called my brother, and played smooth moves for a while. i think my parents are in love with the wii. it was their idea to stay in and play it. and they were upset we had kept one of them. suckas.

today:
met at the coffee shop for breakfast at 8:15. early. they left and now this is happening. do you feel like you relived their trip in real time? that was my goal. it was nice to get to see my brother so much. and my parents are really proud of the parents that he and meredith are. so that, i think made their trip. more so than meeting emma. i know she will grow to like them because they will spoil her rotten. my dad will get her anything, i just know it. and my mom opened some sort of college fund for her while they were here. so that little one just won them over, i know. in fact, i sort of feel like i lost my status as top female (i was second place for cliffy--just after my mom). but with emma here, that status is now second or third (depending on the sex of the parent you are asking). they think i am jealous, but i think it is just great. that little one is pretty special. and now she has 4 grandparents who know her and love her. she is a lucky lady, that baby.

we got to laugh a lot. it was nice to see all the other visitors besides those in my biological family. dan, rose, uncle bill. what pleasant little treats. y'all may laugh, but i do love when visitors come. it makes this place seem less temporary. and it gives poor dust something to do. :) i kid. i kid. i'll put the pictures on this thing and y'all get back to whatever it is you were doing before you took on this novella.

no word on the chem final yet. i know it was mailed back to university of new england on the 17th. so it should be soon. keep your fingers crossed. hopefully, they have been crossed for the week. lord knows i have needed it/ will need it.
squeezes and indian burns to all.

there is your christmas card. aren't we cute?

they're coming

today was a day of family. talked to both karen and jack on the phone this afternoon. that was really good. it is nice to hear their voices and find out all the farm gossip. karen is looking for a place for dust and i, but i told her the soonest we could be there was april. but i think may may be the soonest because we have tix to hot chip and the red sox. both are in april. so looks like i may be working at the shoe store a little longer. not so bad, though. i get really bored when they go through the training stuff, but i like helping people, and i love being around shoes all day. :) i wrote my grandpa (poppadaddy--to those who got to meet him at the wedding) and dustin's grandma in arizona letters today. i talked to my brother on the phone. and if that weren't a lot of family, my parent's plane just landed and they will be here within the hour. oh, i am just so excited about them coming. it will really make this place feel like home. me working, and showing my parents around. so nice. i just wish i could take the week off to entertain them. but such is life, and they assure me they will be back. so that is good. i am making dinner for us tonight. we are having karen's famous mac and chee, fresh--organic asperagus, and spinach salad with dried cranberries and dried cherries, honey roasted pecans and blue cheese with raspberry vinegrette dressing. not too bad a feast. but then there is dessert. a cup cake a piece. choc with choc for my mom. white cake with chocolate frosting for my dad. pink velvet with cream chee for dust, and white on white for me. ( i know choc/choc is my favorite, but this way we can cut them and try them all.) do you see the big brain on me? it never stops. but i am so excited. it is nice to have time to enjoy all the family stuff. we get to go visit my brother tomorrow, and they will meet the baby. on wednesday, my dad's best friend is coming up from l.a. (unkle bill.) he is fabulous. it has been a while since we saw him, so i am really pumped. i will show as many pictures as i can very soon. we will surely have a few photo ops coming up. what with a baby, an unkle and cupcakes. what more could a girl hope for. love you all, and i will keep you posted.

ahhhhhh!

woke up this morning after a few hours of sleep to drive for an hour, and take a test. the test was the organic chem final. six months it has taken me to finish that class. i gave myself the lecture time and again the last week and a half "how could i drag this on for so long...why do i spend time cramming when i have had six months to get this done...." and on and on. i read that chem book three times. three times. once in the last two weeks. that is a lot of information to re-take in. but hopefully i did ok enough to not have to retake it. i feel ok about the test.
enough of that.
while i studied, dust got hooked on lost. and thank God we kept a wii because the xbox got the dreaded ring of death--just as shea was coming. what a shame too, because shea never got to play rock band. and we all know what a travesty that is.
i started a new job at a place called "La Foot." it loosely translates to "the foot." french or spanish...i'm not really sure, but it pays 13.75 an hour and i only have to be there three days a week. i watch people walk and sell them running shoes. sometimes i get to sell people orthodics or sports braces. yup. livin the dream. i am jealous of dust for only working one day a week, he complains he is bored, and i get to go to work three days a week. boy our life is good.
while shea was here we got to see our psuedo-friend, forrest. for a few years we all would converge in georgia where shea's family is from for a thanksgiving celebration. since his grandmother died, the celebration has not happened, but that is another story. anyway. we used to see forrest for a week or two every year because his best friend lives in asheville (shea's cousin), and he would spend time there before we all went down to georgia. he is a fun guy. he showed us where a dude caught a head in the ocean. he showed us where lacy peterson's body washed a shore. it was a gruesome tour, but it was probably my favorite tour of the area we've had so far. i like to know those kinds of facts. he told us those stories while dustin and shea took pictures of the sunset. it was a good day. also i am glad shea came for a visit. we have been here a few months, and he is only three hours away, and he is dustin's best friend... so while i worked, they played frisbee. i was so happy for dust.
next week the tours continue. the langford family is coming for a visit. i am so pumped. now i will have to work monday, wednesday and friday, but other than that, they are mine....well mine and my brother's. most of you know that my brother and his wife had a baby in november, and this trip will be a great meeting of the minds. parents meet emma. fam sees san fran/berkeley/napa. not so bad. maybe i can show them where the bums wash ashore..... :)
i feel like studying is all i have done. but today dustin bought me my first video game. smooth moves. i told you all about it when we went to melissa and andy's. we rented it there. the box advertises 200+fast paced games. man is it fun. i pretty much love it. and i never had my own video game. so that is dorkily exciting.
after i got done napping today, we went to a flower shop in richmond. (richmond is the town in the bay with the worst crime. it has a horrible reputation. but i have always had a good time there--see karaoke pictures.) so we went to the annual store. they had everything. huge selection of plants. sold only individually and starting at $4.00-$10.00 depending on their rarity. it was nice to see so many options, but their presentation was horrible! everything in trays on tables--fine. few blooms. fine--it is march. but even their little display areas were lacking. but they had huge tables of various aloes, native californian plants, more varieties of things than i have ever seen so that was impressive. all the sections had watering instructions on them. posted in spanish. i liked that. they had so many plants. even walker farm, with all it's greenhouses full was no comparison. but man, when we left, dust said, "you know, i think the farm has a lot of plants, but after seeing this place, maybe we lack a few things in varieties, but we make up for it in quality." he then went on to describe the formal garden to me and the time "people" put into it every year. (like i had never seen this illustrious "Formal Garden." it was really cute. i just kept picturing jesse and karen getting everything placed and planted. it is a pretty nice farm there in vermont. i think dust is starting to realize it too.
in a week i find out how well i passed my test. hopefully enough to get at least a c in the class. that would be best. my dad thinks i got a "B", but i think he is dreaming. don't get me wrong, i would totally take it, but i think i got a c. i earned an a++,but i'll be happy with a c. so i'll let ya'll know about that. either way, i gotta gear up for organic 2. should make for an eventful summer. but for now i got a week off. can't do anything till i know if i passed this. so i'll go pour myself a glass of wine and play a little smooth moves. tomorrow i am a working girl.
glad to be back with you all.
love and kisses.

and yippeeeeee to quinn and rob. i am stoked about the engagement. it really made for my best leap day ever!. i just wanted to wait until everyone knew before i gave the shout outs. (i didn't want to go spilling the beans like i did for shea to his mom....another story another time).
congrats you guys. i can't wait to celebrate at the wedding and drinks (when we get home) are on us. only one round or so and probably you should just share a scorpion bowl. worked for us.

lynx

so i don't think my links worked. so we will try again.

www.lesliehall.com

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hu4CM23kD4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypn436DFTUQ&feature=related

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPly-A9KgSM&feature=related

that'll at least get you started. keep looking, i think you will be impressed. a few of you will really enjoy it, a few will be terrified.
good luck

okey dokie

started a new job today. selling running shoes and making custom orthodics. it is pretty exciting. but it pays and i get to leave the house. so all is well on the homefront. dust is still working one day a week. (i've only worked one day, and i am completely jealous.) we had hilary here. it was good. we did the same stuff we do for everyone else. i hope she enjoyed it as much as the rest of y'all. i have my chemistry final on thursday. so i will write a lot more after that. i just didn't want you guys to think i had forgotten you. in the mean time amuse yourselves with this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZMimTEyLNU

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtU7BO03Pk

www.lesliehall.com

or just type in leslie hall in google. we stumbled on a free live performance at our local record store. she is a 200# girl in gold spandex and she will rock your sox off. we had no idea what we were in for, but man, it was fabulous.

now if you don't like things that are a little strange--don't go to these web sites. she is probably a complete freak, but she was entertaining. weird, but entertaining. she is a self proclaimed "ceWEBrity" who celebrates sequin sweaters and spandex. how could i not love that?

any way that should keep you busy until i can update you on thursday night.
xoxo to all

i thought of sebastian yesterday...

yesterday (leap day) dust and i had our first organic strawberries of the season. now, i know sebastian can not eat strawberries unless they are organic (he gets a rash), so we bought them just for him. i could not wait to get home before i had to eat them. they were big and red. and they were sweet (not as sweet as walker farm's strawberries), but it was february and they were organic. (from san diego--so from our state!) this was just amazing to me. we could eat organic strawberries in late feb/early march? what is this world coming to? what have we been missing out on? what else was there that we could be enjoying in february that i thought had to wait until june? now, as you can tell i am not saying these berries were perfection. "sweet, and crunchy" dust called them. but i was happy for a nice "real berry alternative." at least until we get back to vermont and can eat our fill of REAL strawberries. until then, i will continue to eat these for you guys who are snowed under. sebastian, i loved your picture of you holding the pink gem. you look fabulous. if you don't know my favorite five year old, check out his blog :

http://plantsgrowing.blogspot.com/ love to all!

sunny days and sixty degrees

the title is not there to make you new englanders jealous. it is to tell you what i have been missing whilst i've been on the couch. i caught dustin's sickness. though it seems to have loosened it's grip (or grippe), now cramming for the chemistry final has taken hold. those are stories i know you do not wish to hear. so i will spare you. it seems today is Laura's birthday. march 1. every year. so happy birthday , laura! also today marks our halfway point here in california this trip. hard to believe we have only been here two months, huh. but couple that with two weeks in arkansas, and a few weeks not working, and the time really adds up. so we should be home by may.
now the news:
we went to see built to spill. they are, after all, my favorite band. they played at the filmore in san francisco. the meat puppets opened up for them. now the filmore is full of history. anyone who is anyone has played there, so i love to go there. for some reason, they give away apples by the front door. just a little fact for y'all. so we saved all our errands for monday until we were leaving for the show. my goal was to miss the meat puppets. their name alone made me a little ill during their heyday in the mid nineties. so i really had no desire to see them. unfortunately, (or fortunately as the case may be) we forgot about rock star time. in living in vermont for so long, we forgot that shows do not start on time. so we got there half an hour late. not even late enough to miss the real opening band (hel-vetia--from seattle). they were ok to bad. no one was really feeling them and even their drummer looked bored. so we tried to be enthusiastic about them. but no. they played for 45 mins and the singer asked if his sister had made it. silence took over the crowd. even the dude's sister couldn't make it. sad day for him, huh. then the meat puppets. i was dreading this. i knew Nirvana had covered two of their songs on their unplugged album. so i knew it could be better than i thought, but still when they took the stage i was still not thrilled. then they started playing some southern rock type song, and the energy the bassist had was amazing. soon i was dancing and cheering. then they played some songs i knew. they were great! i almost considered saying to dust that they were my new favorite band, and we could just leave because there was no way built to spill was living up to the meat puppet's energy . they were all dancing and playing instruments, and singing, and smiling and sweating. they were working it. and the crowd was going crazy. especially the balding men (and me). everyone was cheering and laughing along with them. now, this was a show i wanted to see. when they were done, i bought my bts shirt, proof i had been to the show, and went upstairs to a bar area where a band was playing along to some old radio show recording (putting their own soundtrack on it). dust was happy. as we went down to the main stage and took our place in the crowd for built to spill, we were ready. dust had a beer, i had a new shirt in my pocket. good to go. then they came out. the set was pretty good. they did not even come close to playing everything i wanted to hear, but they played a good mix of old and new songs. it was nice to have the whole crowd sing along and dance. it was good. and they kept going (they aren't called the indie jam band for nothing). it seemed like hours of me dancing and cheering. it was great! as we left, we got a free poster. new art for the house. what a good adventure.
the next day, i had a job interview at the chiropractic clinic. (i got the job, but had to quit before it began.) here is that story. the interview went great. i really liked all the people i talked to. the typing and the math went well. they offered me the job, and i told them i was going to chiropractic school in september. they asked if i wanted to push that start date back and work for them for a year. i told them i had already pushed it back long enough, and september was late enough. so i didn't take the job.
(you will also remember i had an interview with a cactus store--that was creepy. they asked how i thought i would be selling cactus in five years. it is a part time job. really. five years. one of the owners looked homeless and one looked like mr. rogers. we sat in a little room, our knees hitting, and the smell of fertilizers filling our noses. --too creepy. as i left, the boy in the retail area was so sad/bored and said "s-s-see you soon?" i told him to have a nice day. but it was an altogether creepy time at the cactus store! so no me for them.) now back to the chiropractic day.
that was also dustin's first day at the farmer's market. it was sunny and in the upper sixties. i took him at 12:30, and went to Trader Joe's to get come Emergen-c's to fight off the cold i had been feeling. i made it home and had to take a nap because i was exhausted. two hours later, i forced myself to get up and clean the house and do the dishes. then i went to get dust. i had to lay down again when he got home. i made dinner at nine and went to bed. the next day was much the same. all i had the energy to do was go to the in-n- out burger. then nap. yesh. i was getting boring. and fast. for two days, and i mean 2 days i was hurtin'. now i am better. but i have the sneezes. but at least i can leave the house.
during my stint with the chimera, we went to see there will be blood. that is right. those of you paying attention know we couldn't go see that movie until dustin finished the book. so, ladies and gents, you can start the count of actual books read by dustin manix this year with "oil" by upton sinclair. it inspired "there will be blood." and dust gives it a thumbs up (the book and the movie). so see, i told y'all he could read. you thought it was just a life of video games for us here in sunny california, but no. we read. i've read three books--four if you count me finishing the organic chem book. and dust has finished one. but his wii fitness age is at least half what mine it. he is 22 and last i checked i was 57. so there is something to be said for not reading.
tomorrow hilary comes. we will show her around. it will be good. i have another interview at a running store that sells orthodics (i have made custom shoe inserts at my job in portland--so maybe i can get that.) it pays more than $13 an hour and it is part time. nice. and another interview on friday for medical records filing--pick your own hours up to 18. so not so bad. i'll keep you posted and try to publish more pick, but you guys don't need sick pictures. that is no good for anyone. better now. we'll talk to you all soon!