ReBlogibility

My oh my, its amazing how things change fast.

Been a bit of a whirlwind in my neck o' the woods lately. Guess I'm due for some bloggin'. Some would argue that i'm overdue for some bloggin'. Funny thing how these blogs work. You start one when you have too much time on your hands, and next thing you know, you can't seem to find time to visit your own poor neglected blog, let alone update it, and then when you do, you have to catch up from where you left off.

Right now, though, as I am awake at 5 in the morn' and still and cant seem to take a nappy-poo, I can't hide from my blog any longer. And, actually, it may help me get a grip on the last few weeks. Gonna break out my tech-soap-box for some therapy.

So....away we go.

Saturday, Oct 28th:
I finished up my job in Seattle on the 28th. My boss didn't get a chance to say goodbye, as he was out sick. My GM, (my mother in Seattle) wasn't there for my last night, and before I left my workplace, I had to "remind" the managers on duty that there was closing paperwork to do in my file. That's how much of a stink they made about me leaving.

After 6 years with this company, you'd think I wouldn't be surprised about how my leaving was handled. Everyone in the food service industry is expendable, and I've seen plenty of people come and go, no one misses them after a couple of days. I'm not sure why I thought that my leaving would be any different. My best friend Sean told me that "they'll get you a cake or something". Another friend told me that she was thinking about what she would write in my going away card. Sean said "You'll get all the good karma that's coming to you." I told him that they wouldn't, but a small part of me thought that it would matter, that there would be a cake, card, or something like that, but the biggest hubbub that night was a bartender made an anouncement in the bar shortly before hosing me down with a bottle of soda water.

So, I left my workplace for the last time that night soaked, slightly empty, and a bit drunk. I still miss all those people. I'd forgotten how hard it is when you see a crew everyday for 5 years, and then they are suddenly not there. I planned my own "offical going away" party at our local watering hole, but it was second to a halloween party being hosted down the street at one of our bartender's houses. My party was a pit stop to that party. However, at the bar I was overwhelmed by the turnout of all my close friends, who told me "Screw that other party, your leavin' man!!!" I left the bar (quite drunk at that point), stopped by the other party for a few minutes, then said my goodbyes (no tears, but close) and shut the door on that phase of my life.

Sunday, Oct 29th
The next morning, (as in, 6am morning) we were down at the Penske office renting our truck. She was a 16 foot beauty, accessorized by the car towing trailer and dolly. First stop, a lot by my apartment, where we unhooked the trailer and left it. Then back to E's apartment, since she had to be out by the end of the day. We had all her stuff packed by about 4ish in the afternoon, then took the truck back to my house where we packed my stuff (finishing at about 10pm). Erin went to bed, and after playing a final game of video game golf with Sean, I crashed too. (around 2am)

Monday, Oct 30th
We woke up at about 8ish in the morning. After saying my goodbyes to Sean (tough) we took the cars and truck down to the lot at the end of the street, hooked the trailer back up, loaded Erin's car onto the towing trailer, and set off. When we reached I-5, we noticed a ceartain flaw in our set up. The trailer (with car) was as long, if not longer, than the truck, so any time Erin (driving the truck) went above 50, the trailer started to wobble back and forth, which therefore would cause the top-heavy moving truck to start wobbling back and forth as well. It might sound confusing, but all you need to know is the sheer terror of watching this take place for the first time and thinking "Oh god, that thing is gonna tip!" The first hour or so was pretty nerve racking from my position in the Honda, chasing the unsteady rig (and obviously more so for Erin, the driver). Erin and I talked back and forth via cell phone, and took frequent breaks to eat and just stretch. After Portland (some scary narrow lanes through there) things seemed to get a bit easier, although slow. I was armed with 8 red bull energy drinks, and a 6 disc changer loaded with CDs. Our desire to get back onto California soil got us to Weed, CA that night by approx. 11pm, where we stopped at a cheapo Motel 6.

Tues, Oct 31st (Halloween)

We woke up early (again) and were back on the road by 8ish. It took us about 5 more hours to get to our apartment in Natomas (North end of Sacramento). I'm sure we were both a pretty sight to our landlord when we staggered in to fill out the leasing papers. We settled on a 2 bedroom apartment in a complex-like setting, with all the trimmings. It's big, much bigger than any previous apartment I had lived at, so I was fairly impressed. Erin's sister, Katie, was quick on the scene with bottled water and Pepsi for us to recharge with, and then we started unpacking the beast of a truck. We worked as long as we could, until we both were just too tired to pick up another box. We did have halloween candy for the kids, but none stopped by. (aw shucks...what am I gonna do with 2 bags of fun size Snickers bars?) We got a take-and-bake pizza from the nearby Raley's (walking distance), split a bottle of wine and watched Donnie Darko on E's Laptop for a while, then passed out on a makeshift bed on the ground(we hadn't reached the bed unpacking).

Wed. Nov 1st
Why is it the days you get to sleep in, you tend to wake up early?
Up around 8ish on Wednesday, this day's event being an "unpacking assistance" visit from Dad and Jan. (Thank you very much you 2) We got the truck fully unpacked, went out for Coronas and some food, came back, Erin and I shuffled some boxes around, pretending to be making progress, and crashed out early.

Thurs. Nov 2nd
Unpacking...and Unpacking...and more unpacking. For lunch, Erin and I met her parents at a place recommended by our landlord (rather than go to the same place that we went the day before). Visited with them for a while (a bit nerve-racking, considering I hadn't really met them before), and then....unpacking.

Friday, Nov 3rd
Unpacking. Also, this is the day that we had a wee bit of a bug problem. A few ants showed up in our master bathroom. Ceartainly nothing that we thought would be a big problem. Friday night, Erin took me into downtown for dinner with her sister, mother, father, aunt and uncle. They were on thier way to a show, but apparently had made it a tradition to have dinner beforehand, and we were invited. Got to meet her aunt and uncle, and after about 3 glasses of wine, I was yappin' it up and havin a great time with them, awesome restaurant too. Katie, (E's sister) told me about a new restaurant that was opening in Roseville, a sort of wine-themed-concept restaurant. Sounded like something right up my alley so I agreed to go in on Monday and check it out.

Saturday, Sunday, Nov. 4th, 5th
Nothing really happend during the weekend, except, well...unpacking. I guess I could add that also that weekend, we offically declared war on the ants in our bathroom.

Monday, Nov 6th
Drove down to Roseville to find out about the restaurant thing, filled out a application, dressed to the nines, talked to a manager, got a second interview with the GM scheduled for Wednesday (11/8).

Tuesday...nothing happend...well, something happend, but I won't go into detail. Let me just summarize by saying it involved Chili's Baby Back Ribs and me staying up all night wishing I were dead.

Wednesday, 11/8 (interview day)
I woke up from my short nap, my stomach still sore from excessive trauma the night before, dressed up and went to my interview, feeling a bit like a zombie (with a stomach ache). No need to go into specifics regarding the interview, I'll just say that I had the job clinched within 5 minutes. The GM told me that I had the best wine knowledge out of anyone that he had interviewed, and we spent most the time talking about how inferior Washington wines are to California wines. Training for the restaurant, Crush 29, was set to begin on the 27th of November. I would be called by the serving manager before then to arrange an orientation. I was pretty excited. It felt good to be employed again.

Ugh...gotta stop for now. Finally getting sleepy. Amazing what eye strain will do to you.
There is a part 2 to all of this, but I figured I put out a bit for ya all to chew at for today.

Triage Blogging

Ok, so I have exactly 10 minutes to fill everyone in, so I'm gonna cut right to it.

Moving. Soon. Like, in a week soon. We are leaving Oct. 30th, and hope to be in Sacramento either that night or early the next day. We can't get the keys to our new place until the 31st, so it's very likely that we'll stay overnight somewhere (probably Redding, CA). Our new apartment is a big (1,000ish Sq. Feet) 2 bed/2 bath place in the Natomas area (north Sac.) Its a new development and looks pretty clean and safe. The houses that E was able to look at were too scuzzy to really consider, so we figured that a 6 month lease at this place, the "Miramonte", was a good place to at least get us started. They have 2 pools (perfect for the Sac summer), 2 gyms, 2 clubhouses, and guest suites, where we will be able to put up visitors for 50 bucks a night. (of course we plan on having an office/guest room as well). You can check out pictures at www.forrent.com, just search Sacramento and you'll find the Miramonte.

My Job connection in Sacramento has pretty much dried up. The new Sacramento Mac & Schmacks isn't opening until mid January at best, so I'm on my own for employment when I get there. I'll figure something out, always have.

Erin's job is rock solid though. When she gave notice at her current company, they offered a telecommute option to her, since they can't really afford to lose her. So temporarily, she's gonna work out of the new home for the same company. Basically, without her, the business would be in complete chaos, so they are being very generous with thier terms of her continued employment.

I have only 6 more days of work at my restaurant. I may never serve tables again. While it kinda bums me out (because serving is something I could do in my sleep) I'm excited to maybe learn a new trick or two. This week is all about absorbing as much of my job as I can, and leaving on a high note.

Halloween will be unpacking boxes and passing out Candy over a bottle of wine...I can't wait.

Update

Not too much to report. E is grinding away at the job search, and I'm grinding away at the restaurant. September is well known as being the slowest month of the year for the industry, and this one is being particularly slow. I'm just trying to put away as much $ as possible. Yesterday Erin called me to tell me that she had been offered a job in SF, working as a project manager for a non-profit. After giving it some thought, she passed it up. The salary was not up to par for what we would need to live in SF, (about 20,000 less than would be nesscessary) and one of our goals is to get a place with more space (like a house) and that would just not be possible on that sort of income. We both feel like if we ended up back in SF that we would just be spinning our wheels for another couple of years. So Sacto is still the front runner, she's put out her resumes everywhere that she could think of there, and now we just need to wrap up things here, in seattle. We are estimating our time of departure to be Oct. 25-28thish, but that really depends on how the money situation goes.

Meanwhile, my life has turned into something of a boot-camp-style mentality. I get up, work, come home, cook dinner, sleep, rinse, repeat. I've given up fast food, and anything that cost money. Last weekend I spent 15 dollars all weekend, this week I've spent 6 so far. Everything else is going into the moving fund. Although this type of non-spending lifestyle is driving me mad, I am determined to be prepared to make the move on time. I'm spending alot of time with my DVD's.

SDOT got me again, another parking ticket. That day at work was super busy, and I couldn't leave the floor to move my car, so they got me.

alright, I don't usually post this kind of stuff (at least I haven't yet) but this thing is kinda cool. Thx to Janno


create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.