Samsara

Hello!

Omgi'meffinexhausted.

Ok, so update on life:

Apartment!:
-Got the living room/dining room and bedroom painted Friday night/Saturday morning/Sunday morning. The bedroom is this amazing shade of bright slate blue called "Viking." I heart it
-Got most of my furniture and crap moved in, although there's still a bunch of stuff at Laura's apartment I need to grab (I got a bunch of it last night, but i'm so sore and tired...). By the end of the week I'll have it all. Much of it will be going into storage or to my parents for the garage sale in late May
-Jared and I set up the loveseat and chairs and stuff in the living room Sunday night, and it looks perty
-I brought the cats over last night. They seem to be adjusting well, although Luke was hiding this morning.

Wedding!:
-I'm in the process of researching and requesting quotes from string trios for the ceremony. They's 'spensive!
-Also, cake-tasting tonight. However, if this place doesn't have anything awesome we're just going to do fancy pies and brownies I think.
-With a Jareth and Sarah "cake" topper
-Jared is in charge of contacting DJs this week. We'll see... he's just as insanely busy as I am, but with less of a reality on how we needed that booked LAST MONTH

Writing!:
-I'm still writing every morning, from 8-9! In fact, I'm making sure I get to work at 8 so that I can write from 8 right up until 9, instead of 8 to 8:45.
-TPaL is coming along great. I'm so happy with this project! My only concern is small, and that's how to pitch it to an agent when I'm done (since the chapters are so short, and mostly adults read it, but it could be considered even Middle Grade fiction)
-I think a major re-write of The Hierophant is coming up. I have a new vision of Ana's character that would make her more interesting, and realistic I think.

Work:
-The Expo went OK, we sold 5 Bokashi bins in total. Composting seems to be a buzz thing with the green movement, since people have been hearing about it for years
-The Green Buffalo site (www.thegreenbuffalo.com) is up and running, and is relatively done...
-Just putting the finishing touches on my mother's e-book, "Introduction to Being Well: An Empowering Guide to Natural Health" and designing a cover, then figuring out how to make it downloadable.
-I have to put the phone number on the site soon, which means fielding phone calls... bleh

Life!:
-I'm madly in love
-Jared will be LIVING WITH ME IN BUFFALO by May 1st
-I have a secret surprise in store for him that involves $100 in Marriott gift certificates that I got from credit card reward points, and kidnapping him for a weekend
-We're getting new phones on Thursday- I finally get to join the 21st century and update my facebook status from my phone! lol

And that is all for now. I am exhausted and must drink pots of coffee now.

Life! Hello!

Just a brief Holy-Crap-I'm-Busy List:

-Writing from 8-9am
-Working from 9-7 (on average)
-Packing to move
-Moving, and all that lovely stuff that goes with it
-including painting, which means picking out paint O.o
-The Green Expo on saturday (no, i'm not attending, we have a table)
-Birthdays, parties, etc.
-We need a DJ and a wedding cake, like, yesterday
-Meet with reception folks and finalize junk

...and that's all this week.

Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying myself! I'd also just like to sit around and do nothing for a minute or two, though. XD

As far as paint colors go? The living room and dining room are kind of connected (share a wall), and we're looking at some really light, buttery yellows for those rooms; the bedroom is going to be blue, either a vibrant lighter blue or a rich dark one. We're not going to bother to paint the office- i don't think- because we're going to have bookshelves and lots of wall hangings in there. Although. I dunno. Let's see how much paint costs. ;D

On a pagan note, I think I'm going to do some spellwork tomorrow night to cleanse and protect the new apartment. I'm not really worried about anything, but I know Jared has a tendency to attract ghosties, et al, and from my experiences with spending the weekend at his place I don't really want to make their presence a regular thing in the home, lol.

Btw, if you want to help me move or paint, I have a mini-keg of Spaten beer (oh how i wish they'd had the Spaten Dunkel... *sigh*) and I will be buying everyone pizza :D Friday evening and Sunday afternoon, let me know!

:)

Ok, yesterday sucked but today is going better, aside from a mysterious (literal) pain in my neck.

I fixed a bunch of problems on the site, so work is going more smoothly. I dropped off Jared's resume to Autistic Services on my lunch break, which looks like a nice place to work (although I didn't see a "starting rate of pay" for the Day Habilitation position... let's just hope it's equal or more to what he makes now in bumf***, NY). He's pretty stressed out about the whole potentially being unemployed/finding a new job thing, but I've sincerely got a good feeling about the whole situation. I think it's entirely likely and possible for him to secure a job before May, even, that pays better than what he gets now (less than $10.25/hour :p), and that starts, say, the second or third week of May. That way he can have some time off from work without worrying, and some time to acclimate to Buffalo before he gets back to the grind. I think that'd be nice :)

Unfortunately, my peaceful feelings on the issue don't help much considering I was job searching for 3 months and never technically got any of the jobs I applied for- I was just offered one by my entrepreneurial parents who already have two businesses that they own. Still, he's in a better boat- he's highly qualified and experienced for the line of work he's pursuing, and he doesn't have a busted spine that prevents him from applying to any job that might involve lifting or standing for long periods of time :p

Anyway, I'm positive he'll have a job in no time, if he just gets his resume out there.

So, aside from that, things are good.

Oh, and one more thing:

Today's TPaL update... PREPARE FOR THE SHOCKING TWIST. (ok maybe not so shocking, but it's a good one!) Coming in, like, 5 minutes! ;D

-I'm moving right along building the web site for The Green Buffalo, my parents' new business venture in the world of all-natural lifestyles. We've got a table booked at the Buffalo Niagara Green Expo; we had our logo spruced up by Laura, and now it's on its way to a screen printer so that we can have t-shirts in time for the expo. We're going to try and hire some salespeople there, and pique interest in our products.

-In the mail yesterday I received a signed contract, $50 money order (as down payment), and a flash drive from the man whose novella I will be editing/proofreading. I've got 6 weeks to do it on top of everything else, but I'll do it. And I'll get another $450 for it! :D (*note to self, re-post add on craigslist)

-I was doing theoretical budgets last night, and I realized that I am quite comfortable at the moment. When Jared's here and paying his half of the rent, I'll be easily independent, while still capable of contributing to paying off his student loans, saving for vacations, and just saving in general. Nice! also, I realized I've got quite a bit of money in the bank... shows how much attention I pay to my bank statements...

-All that worrying I did just a few weeks ago is so embarrassing right now; life is shaping up so nicely. The Universe provides! Maybe it's springtime, or maybe it's the flow of energy into so many different areas of my life, but I feel more powerful and determined than ever. And at the same time, almost care-free. I have things I want. I want to lose my winter weight, and little more before the wedding; I want to write more; I want a publishing contract; I want to travel more. But I'm content just imagining it, fantasizing about it, and really enjoying the place I'm at right now. There's so much to be thankful for, and so much to look forward to.

-Met with the florist/old family friend this morning to discuss flowers for the wedding. So overwhelming! All the pretty flowers = too many choices. I've decided on a general shape (medium-small-ish, somewhat cascading) for the bouquet, and wildflowers for the tables, but thank god we've got plenty of time before a decision has to be made. Oi! Weddings.

-Jared's thinking about getting a pet rat soon. I love all animals, but it's been a while since I've had a bond with one of the rodent variety. Maybe there's a lesson waiting to be learned in this future rat. But anyway, do any of you know of "squeak-free wheels" or cures for squeaky wheels? Cause I will hear it all night long and never sleep again if the rat has a squeaky wheel.

Joy! :D

-I received my college diploma in the mail the other day, and oddly enough my first reaction was to feel a bit proud. Despite all my hatred of institutionalized learning, and all the bureaucracy that UB put me through, I did finish with a decent GPA without hardly trying, aside from making time. Hoorah! However, my close second reaction was "Would I regret it if I burned this?" haha.

-I put myself out there on Craigslist as a freelance proofreader/editor a little while back. I do have years of experience, though unpaid and not technically professional. Words are my vocation, and ever since I was young I've had a natural talent for English, even in the technical department. I'm charging the industry minimum, given that I'm entry-level as a professional- $10/500 words. I hadn't really expected to get anyone asking for my service, but at the moment I'm waiting on a signed contract to come in the mail for me to edit a novella! That's $500! Hellooooo income! He also wants to pay me to write his query letter for him :D I gave him a hella industry discount on that, just because I want to make sure I don't scare off a good customer- it's usually a minimum of $120 for such a service, but I'm charging $75. Woot!

-Also on the income front, I have a temp job! A very, very temporary job, lol, but a job nonetheless. One of the HR peeps Laura's boss referred me to has been very kind to stay in contact with me even though they typically do IT staffing, and today called offering me a job doing data entry for Bryant and Stratton. The job will probably only last about 5 days, and it only pays $9/hour, but I'm not complaining! That's a good $300 in the bank. Ok, I'm complaining a little because I'm going to be missing out on some quality Jared time. But I guess I have to be responsible ;P

-Also also on the income front, my parents are starting a new business online that they want help with, so I might actually be getting a full time job working for them. This isn't a hand-out as I initially suspected, but a real job holding down the fort in shipping, customer service, web updates, etc. I'll even be commissioned to make a few instructional videos for them :) So, if it all works out, I should be starting there in a few weeks.

Life is getting better every day! :D

What a nice weekend :) Jared and I spend long hours together just cuddling and watching movies and talking. Jared, his roommate Jack, and I are going to start working on making a short horror film for fun. Jack has a degree in telecommunications and works as a videographer and editor for a Syracuse news station, so together with Jared we have a decent knowledge of how a film should be made. It should be an adventure, either way!

Tonight, I have an interview at Buffalo Womenservices! Woo hoo! I'm really hoping I get this job. It only pays $9/hr, and they can't guarantee I'd get FT hours every week, which means there are probably no benefits, but I don't care! I'll be covered under Jared's insurance when we're hitched, and in the mean time I'll just save a little from each paycheck for health stuff just in case. Also, who am I kidding? If I needed money for medical bills my parents would spot me until I could pay them back. How fortunate I am to come from a family that is so generous. ;-;

In other news, I'm thinking of revising Midnight Estates to make it an adult paranormal romance. I may publish it under a pen name. I have a series idea- Realty Romance, lol. Midnight Estates, Shady Acres, and Whispering Woods, all of which are actual housing developments I've seen and thought- "damn, those sound like horror story titles!" Maybe they can all be like some kind of desperate housewives-meets-paranormal-romance thing. I dunno.

Happy Monday!

What's this? Two posts in one day? Madness!

I have been slowly building another small/big epiphany today. This is the gist of it- I know a lot of things analytically. I believe a lot of things analytically. But emotionally my soul protests this reality.

I am unemployed. I haven't had luck finding a job. This naturally causes some concern- but why? Because if I'm not concerned, I'm irresponsible. Well, that's not good enough. I don't believe that responsibility means worrying myself into despair. I do what I can each day through actions to find and land a job- now I need to do what I can emotionally and spiritually to align myself with an income.

I have been feeling guilty for sleeping in while unemployed, so I try to get up early. Why do I feel guilty? Because I don't want to waste the day. But the thing is, I write best in the evening and at night, and I do my best internetting (in other words, job hunting) in the morning, and no matter how well rested I am I don't feel like doing anything other than reading or napping come 2pm. So, I am unemployed, and I've resolved not to worry (but to anticipate!). So, why not also take advantage? Not just of the free time, but of the freedom of my time.

Here is a schedule I would like to test out:

8am: Wake up; do some stretching/physical therapy; shower; eat breakfast; look for and apply to jobs/follow up on any leads for employment; handle other professional or important communications

Noon: Lunch

12:30: Errand running; apartment cleaning; wedding planning; all the etcetera I don't usually plan too far in advance; sometimes go to the gym (that's right, I got myself a gym membership again! Getting a head start on the 10-15 pounds I usually lose over summer [and gain over winter]).

Any time after 2 and before 6: Nap. Unless I'm not tired, in which case: read.

After nap: Internet (I know I won't be able to stay away, so I might as well schedule it in :p); dinner.

7-ish: Pick a coffee shop (any coffee shop!) and WRITE.

11-ish: Phone date with Jared.

After phone date: Write some more! Until I start to fall asleep.

This works with my natural sleeping patterns, without making me feel like a bum: I often am not the least bit tired until 3 in the morning; I can easily wake up between 7am and 8am, but after that my body wants to start the sleep cycle again; no matter how much or how little sleep I get the night before, I always begin to crash around 2:30, which can usually be handled by a short nap; I write best after dinner and into the night.

Sounds good to me! I'll give it a test drive as starting tonight.

Also: I got a second call for pet sitting services today. Two days in a row! The hell people, where were you last summer when I posted those fliers? I'm hoping this means that my energy is aligned with working with animals, and that I'll be getting a job at a vet's office after all!

I'm writing this from Jared's apartment. He's at work right now- I just finished putting together dinner in the slow-cooker, and Jack (one of his room mates) left about an hour ago for work, so I'm all alone in an apartment that isn't mine. I'm savoring the strangeness to save it for later use in writing, hee hee. I'm staying an extra night so that I can drive Jared to and from the doctor tomorrow morning for bloodwork. He hates it about as much as I do, and I know I can't drive after having blood drawn so I volunteered my wheels. It's not like I have any obligations during the day any more :p

Anyway, on the job front, I've got nothing so far. A few leads that may go nowhere. A few leads that may go somewhere. A whole crap-load of scams on the internet. I have faith, though, that a secure income is on its way. Worst case scenario I invest in painkillers and get a job in retail again. I'm giving myself to the end of March before I resort to that, though.

On the writing front, there's not much new. I failed at my goal of finishing TPaL before the end of January, but I'm resolved to spend more days working on it. Step aside everything else, writing is my full time job now until I have one that pays. I'm excited to see where it takes me, because I have a feeling some of the new characters are going to be around a bit longer than I intended.

On the looooove front, everything is awesome as usual ;D Jared's friend and best man Sean took some goofy pictures of us this weekend for our save the date announcements (in looking at them I am reminded that I need to start watching my diet- I don't want a double chin in my wedding photographs :p). We've just been hanging out and cuddling all weekend, talking about life and spirituality. We were visited (again) by a ghost last night in his bedroom. Jared tends to attract these entities for whatever reason. He's asked me to pass along to Gretchen, my mother's BFF who is also a clairvoyant medium, that he'd like to chat with her some time about what he should do with the folks who are trying to contact him. It's very interesting- I've noticed my own senses are becoming more attuned, but the second HE senses something, I sense it even more acutely- every hair on my body stands on end. Empathy FTW?

Artists & Models, the HallWalls fundraiser event, is happening again this year! I would love to participate again, and I'm going to try. But, there's a good chance I won't be able to because I'm kiiiiinda busy this year, what with finding a job, moving into a new place, and planning a wedding. The theme this year is STIMULUS... of course half the time none of the installations have anything to do with the theme, but I like to try to stick with it, but turn it on its head.

And that's that! Happy Monday! (?)

Well well well, it's been some time, hasn't it?

-First, I'm back to regular posts in The Poppet and the Lune! Yaaay! Tuesdays only unfortunately, as I've been too busy with the excitement and wonder of LIFE to have time to get much of a cushion written.

-The venue is booked, and the dress is ordered! Holy crap were those two things difficult to find and stressful to not have decided on. Timing is everything in planning a wedding, and I guess since our wedding is in August we were cutting it pretty close on both! We'll be getting married on August 21st (my eldest brother's birthday :p), 2010, at the Lockport Locks, which does cruises up and down the Erie Canal. It'll be an outdoor ceremony and reception, including a cocktail hour on a boat! :D And the dress... omg the dress. I tried it on a few weeks ago actually, the first time I tried on wedding dresses, but because of the price I was unsure. Since we got a deal on the venue, however, the dress was no problem! It's gorgeous, kind of lacy/vintagey, kind of modern. Surprisingly, it's strapless (I generally don't do strapless) but my hair will be down so even if there were straps they'd be covered by my hair. Also, it has a lace-up back ;D

-I'm having a phone conference with the potential photographer (punambean.com) who is a bit pricey, but her work is fabulous and we're more than willing to skimp on something else to have the best pictures we can get. 50 years from now we're not going to remember what we used in the flower arrangements, but we'll have amazing photographs!

-Didn't get the job at Geico, but I have a few other prospects still. Local folks, if you know of any job opportunities please don't hesitate to let me know...

-Going crazy now that the holidays have passed. Jared and I are back to seeing each other less than 3 days a week, and we've gotten spoiled by lots of 3 or 4 day weekends. I cannot wait for him to move out here. Of course, I need to get a job first, but that is going to happen soon. (Right Universe? Right Maddie.) Then, life can get kind of normal, as in I won't be busy every weekend from now to forever.

That's about it!

01. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?

Studied abroad; met my soulmates (romantic and non); rode a camel; climbed a dune; rolled down a hill in Scotland; made out with a gay boy... this list could go on and on...

02. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Didn't make resolutions last year, but I did have areas of focus that I focused the HELL out of! :D Already set some goals for next year!

03. Did anyone close to you give birth?

( More inside! )