adventures in moving

So as some or most of you may know, I've recently moved from my home in Homewood at Mountain Woods (Hoods) apartments to another apartment closer to the downtown area. Though I love where the place is at, and there are many pluses that won me over in the end, it has been no easy feat.
We started packing up and moving my stuff last Saturday at about 7 in the morning. We didn't finish until 7 at night. I'm serious. It was ridiculous. I don't know how in the world I managed to accumulate so much crap! There were boxes upon boxes of things. And then there was the furniture. I have to give it to my dad, though. He kept his cool the whole day. I think it also helped that my bro-in-law and Craig came to help. He wouldn't dare show out in front of them.
Unfortunately, I had no utilities until Monday, and I was forced to drive home to Gadsden Saturday night. I soon realized that in our haste to pack everything, important stuff was stowed away. My shoes being one thing. Mother and I had one pair between us, and I ended up winning the right to wear them. My purse was also gone, along with my debit card and license. And sadly, I packed up all my clothes leaving me nothing to wear to work on Monday. I was forced to go buy a new pair of pants (it was torture) and search for things in my car (I found a sweater).
On Monday, I was called by the water people so that I could meet them out there to turn on the water. I waited around for an hour to no avail. When I finally called, asking where this waterman was, they told me that it was simply a courtesy call and I would have to turn my water on myself. Myself! I arrived home in a huff, determined to have water.
I took the wrench my father lent me down to the meter and ran across a streak of good luck. My neighbor (Paul of A7, as I have come to know him now) was outside, and he was so kind to turn my water on for me. However, I still had no heat.
Tuesday, the kind man from Alagasco came for to turn on my gas. We managed to get me hot water and a gas stove. When he went outside to light the pilot light, though, he was startled to discover that my furnace was rather old. He told he probably light it, but he really wanted me to have heat. He lit it, and when he turned on the heat, it made a really loud noise. He stepped out on the back porch area to take a look, and right at that moment, a giant fireball escaped out the back and blew the chamber door off (not that I really know what that means). He freaked out and told me that he had to tag it; it had to go. I called my landlord, and she was all, "we'll send someone to have a look." Gas man got on the phone and was all, "Nuh-uh, it's gotta go now."
That night, a kind old Hispanic gentleman brought me a space heater, "por la noche," which I gratefully accepted. Wednesday they repaired the damage, but I still feel as if I could be in some sort of danger.
Aside from all this, there are so many things to be done. I have seven different windows that need blinds and a window in the shower of my bathroom. There's paint over everything. On the floors, on the plug outlets, on the doors...and there are very few electrical outlets as it is. I'm missing light fixtures. My fridge is a little off-kilter in that it rocks back and forth. I haven't unpacked everything. I need rugs. Sigh. It's exciting, because it's my first place of my own that I've not shared with a roommate, but it's overwhelming.
On the bright side, I really like my job. I miss SL, but I know that I wouldn't have been able to find a job there. Here I'm getting to try a lot of different things, and I've got the ever-elusive insurance. Wonderful.

water under the bridge...

By now, most everyone has heard about the crazy Vietnamese man Lam Luong who chucked his four children off a bridge in Dauphin Islan.

It's an absolutely terrifying story, and I can't imagine what that woman must be going through. The kids were aged 4 months to 3 years, and I don't even want to know what was going through their minds as someone they trusted picked them up and flung them to their deaths.

However.

That being said, one must try to find some sort of light side in the wake of a tragedy such as this. Though this is a horrifying tale of bad parenting, there is only one thing more horrifying than the deaths of the children.

And that is the woman that CNN chose to speak to and broadcast in a video I found on CNN.com.

Some still photos:


Here this lady is, in all her glory. All the reporters seem to be hanging on to her every word.



Can you blame them? She looks like a pretty credible source.



"Thems was just BABIES! Baybies...them dint deserve that...thems was BAYBIES!!!"



Check out that sweet hairdo. Two scrunchies—that do ain't goin nowhere.



This is the moment where she just got fed up with all the reporters and decided to leave.



Look. At. That. Face.



She's outta here.



The reporters later explained that she felt so moved and compelled to lay flowers at the site.

Silk flowers.

These kids are DEAD lady. You couldn't have sprung for some live ones? Or at least taken the time to rip them out of someone else's yard on your way over?

This is Alabama they way the world sees us, folks.

snow big deal

So this weekend, we got some snow. Finally. Everyone was waiting for it, though I was still not quite certain it was even cold enough to snow. But snow and behold, there it was, covering my apartment complex on Saturday morning.

I remember talking to my mom, either the day of or the night before, and she said, "I saw on the news that ya'll are supposed to get some snow this weekend. Have you been to the store? Do you have enough supplies?"

The first words out of my mouth were, "Yes, mother. I have milk and bread, and a jug of water in the fridge."

Then I stopped myself. I don't even know why I said that. I'm not particularly fond of milk, and I don't have anything to put in between the bread in the first place. Why does every feel the need to run out and get bread and milk as soon as the weather gets bad? We've been doing that since before I could remember.

not-so-cordial cherry

I've written a blog before about the many disgusting flavors of soda there are out there. Pepsi and Coke have each had their own foray into flavored fizzies, but when it all comes down, Dr. Pepper has really taken it to the next level. A level that I, and perhaps some others, was not quite prepared for.

Kaitie and I were in the sketchy Wal-Mart (the one out on Lakeshore - Stephanie, you know what I mean) purchasing some necessary items. We'd been discussing purchasing a soda inside, and soon after we walked in, Kaitie announced that she was really in the mood for Cherry Vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper, but hadn't seen one in a while.

As we walked over the cooler near the front of the store, I gave out a cry - I thought I had actually found a CVDDP.

Alas, I was mistaken. Upon closer scrutiny, I realized that this was not a CVDDP, nor was it Berries 'N Cream, or any of the others. No, no. It was worse.



Yes, folks, it was Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr. Pepper.

On a whim (actually, we debated about whether or not to drink it for a few minutes), we decided to check it out. I took the first swig. When it first hit my tongue, I was thinking, "Okay, not so bad."

Then came the after taste.

It was so nasty. It was just....ugh. I don't even know how to describe it. Weirdly enough, it did taste like chocolate and cherries.

And crap. Don't let those cute little cherries dripping with chocolate fool you. Aesthetics are only half the battle (or the bottle, rather), my friend.

Here is the description you can find on the Dr. Pepper Web site:



I have to say, I wasn't quite 100% satisfied. I wasn't even 50%. I was almost willing to trade in some extra calories for some flavor. Thank GOD it's only for a limited time. I can't imagine many tears will be shed when they take this little jewel off the shelves.

Bottom line: No soda should ever incorporate the flavor of chocolate. Never.

cape (cod) crusader

Whelp...I just booked my flight - I'm going to see my dear sweet biffle, Melanie, January 24-30. I'm so psyched! I can't wait. I haven't been to Massachusetts in a little over two years. We're going to see G. Love in Boston the Friday night I'll be there - superfun.

And in other news...who is this joker? He's on Law and Order Criminal Intent and looks like Patrick Swayze. I just don't like the looks of him.

when red-eye goes horribly awry

I was fixing some old pictures to put online from a friend's birthday, and I realized that I had a ridiculous amount of red-eye to correct. In order to make sure my friends didn't look like posessed demons in all the pictures, I sat down to work.

If any of you have ever used the red-eye reduction function, you know that it has a tendency to not work. Or worse, it has a tendency to turn other things blackish-blue. Sadly, while touching up a picture of my friend Kevin, this happened:



It reminds me of the commercial that Joey did on Friend's for Ichiban, Lipstick for Men!



I will never be able to look at/think about this picture (of Kevin) and not laugh.

I'm laughing now.

More on Ichiban:

No, no - after you

This morning while I was in the elevator, I was joined by a gentleman with a rolling case (not sure if it was of the suit- or brief- variety, but either way, it had wheels). We both entered on the first floor, and soon found out we were both headed to the third floor.

At the second floor, we made an unexpected stop, and were consequently joined by a well-dressed young woman and her Starbucks. She was on her way to the fifth floor, and would be along for the ride as well.

As we approached the third floor, the doors opened, and the young woman scooted back as to let us both through. I motioned to Rolling Case Man, and said, "Go on, you first."

To which he replied, "No, no - after you."

This little tennis match went on for about 20 seconds, when I finally relented and went out the elevator doors. As I exited, I heard the girl in the elevator sigh and say, "I just love Southerners."

So do I, lady in the elevator. So do I.

(***This week is traditionally when the new interns start to fill in, and they come from all over the US. I'm under the assumption that she was the new corporate intern, seeing as the old one (a good friend of mine) just left a week ago.)