Irony/music

Irony: Marina and the Diamonds sold out Center Stage and has been around for only about 3 years. Rachael Yamagata is playing a smaller venue and has not sold it out; she's also been around for almost 10 years.

Rachael Yamagata is amazing. What is it that holds her back professionally so that she can't sell out a venue holding 2,000 seats let alone 400? Or is Atlanta behind the curve on truly talented artists?

Thirsty Thursday!

It's drinking on the patio weather. Been in the 70s and 80s now for almost a month. My new drink is the cheap and easy margarita, not cheap tasting though.

In a 10 ounce glass add:
6 ice cubes
2 shots tequila
1 shot triple sec
1 shot pomegranate juice
"Fill" remainder of glass with Tropicana Limeaid

I stir it around for a minute but it barely needs to be mixed, certainly doesn't need to be put in a mixer unless you like it chilled, straight up.

Now that's a patio sipping drink for sure. If I'm lucky, I'm on my way home to have one.

I've reached the point where I know I'm turning into my mother

Commonly known fact among family and family friends: my mother makes extremely goofy faces when she's being silly/funny.

I was in the kitchen juggling (and I use that term loosely) my coffeemate creamers and all of a sudden I felt the contorted discomfort in my face. Immediately I saw a flash of my mother making her "goofy" face and I shook my head at the fact that I was indeed making that face.

As the days go by, I realize just how much of my persona I'm still acquiring from my mother. Now, instead of mimicking my mothers voice when I'm saying something she previously said to me, I just say it like her naturally when I'm voicing my own day breakdown. Honestly I shouldn't be surprised since Mom and I have been confusing callers with our similar voices since I hit high school. Her cellphone voicemail message was me up until a year ago. Now, though, my pronunciations and intonations are also just like my mothers.

I have acquired a few bad habits of my mother's as well - even when I'm just slightly annoyed, I get "a tone." In my house "a tone" means I'm getting to that annoying/bitchy pitch where I constantly sound like a NJ housewife. Yes, mom, you do that too.

Thank God I have the mellowness of my father.

Impatience and new technology

While waiting for this guy to meet us (to buy stuff we are selling on Craigslist like the sketchy freaks that we are) I got bored. It happens.

What I'm about to share with you is what happens when I get bored. I take pictures of myself. I don't even know why because half of the time I hate them. But most of them weren't too bad. I desperately need a haircut though. I can't remember the last time my hair was this long.

Well, enjoy the pics. I'm off to go lose an hour of sleep.

Life and music

This post was prompted by my extremely random 'genius' mix. Pictures below of the playlist, only missing 'Scream' by Michael and Janet Jackson. I have no idea how iTunes genius results are delivered now... a gerbil on a pinwheel in an iMac, perhaps? Because no real, live human being would make this a playlist except possibly Mary Moline. Eh, Mo?

Well the loft is coming along well. Still need bookcases and a pot rack but really coming together nicely. Today may bring a pot rack as C wants to go to some antique places. While I sit at home jamming to music and finishing my taxes. (Listening to my jack@@@ neighbors upstairs stomp around and scrape stools and chairs all across the room.)

Hope everyone has, or had, a great day!

Life is easier for the gluten tolerant...

Lately we have had free food at work... cake, bagels, cookies, etc. Every single thing that gets brought in has gluten in it. Unfortunately I'm a sucker for free. Finally today - after probably about a week of eating gluten despite the fact that I am highly intolerant - my body is revolting. Stomach churning, headache out of this world, and so extremely drained of energy. Why would a person willingly do this to themselves you ask? I don't know. Because life is easier if I eat wheat... until it's not.

I'm at a loss. I know how terrible I feel after eating gluteny goodness but for some sad, stupid reason I sometimes stray. Why? What the heck is wrong with me? /rant

On a positive update: I should be posting more pictures of the new place soon. We're this |-| close to having it mostly setup. Still a few boxes to unpack and trash plus a ton of stuff to drop off at Goodwill and I will feel accomplished. Oh new home how I love you and hate you at the same time. ;)

Well, that's all for now. Pictures of new storage solution coming soon...

Grandpa Approved

So we have had some "issues" since we moved into the loft. The lighting fixtures were bad and went on and off when the movers were here. The lighting is the bathroom was practically non-existent. The stove top didn't work. Plus much more including a collapsing closet.

To make matters worse, we could not hook up the dryer for the life of us. The hose inside the wall is fubar. And our connector hose was super long and not very flexible. Well, it took us a week but between a new hose, gorilla glue, and Great Stuff that sucker is not going anywhere. Grandpa M would be so proud of C and me.

Now, the part he'd be most proud of was C's brilliant idea. Our drying rack broke. It's crappy plastic and from Target so I didn't expect much but it hit the ground 1x and a very important chunk came out of it, stupid piece of crap. So Clarice got out the gorilla glue and I held it shut. We glued that sucker together. Then she decides she wants a just in case method so she pulls out the duct tape and wraps it up in the duct tape. I honestly don't think the thing has been so erect; it's perfect! Grandpa M applauded from Heaven. Holla!

Rocking the new place

Getting things set up is kind of fun - and stressful. I pretty much love this place. =)

Most if these pictures were taken at night, btw. Enjoy!

Doppelgänger

She's at it again, this time trying to return things with my email address. Attached was a phone number so I texted the # - Washington State - and it's a landline. I'm a little surprised that E lives in WA but now I have her phone number.

I contacted the latest vendor & told them to call her (while also asking them to pass along the message that I am sick of getting her emails).

Who thinks this is going away? I'm almost certain I'm going to call her and cuss her out soon. I can't help it. I can only take so much JUNK MAIL.

Packing my life away

At this time tomorrow I will be in my new place.

Thanks to a generous donation from my parents, we have hired movers - 4 men at $150/hour. The amount of stuff we have for them to move is underwhelming. If it weren't for the 3 flights of stairs at the old place, we would have no problems doing it ourselves.

Tonight we moved a hatchback full. Last night we moved another hatchback full. I have a few loads I'd like to take over tomorrow pre and during movers plus I have to be at new place at 3 to pick up the elevator key. Hopefully the movers won't be too far behind me.

Honestly, I'd like to blink and have this whole move be done. How do I make that happen?

I see an Ikea trip in my future for Sunday and probably also off to find some organizers. We need 1 for the laundry room, a small corner shelf or something for towels in the master bath, and then we need to go back to Lowes for keys and nails.

We recently read an article about 20 simple household things you need to know... or some shiz like that. So we have been inspired to try and put boxes along the ceiling in the new laundry room with string and nails. I hope it works. I don't want Li to be trapped in this laundry room with stuff on the ceiling - that'd be bad.

Well, I'm too tired to even think of an appropriate ending so I'm just gonna peace out. Good night! Think good thoughts about us tomorrow afternoon/early evening.

Random emails

Lately I've gotten a rash of emails from people emailing an Elisabeth Marshall. I had gotten this email a while ago made out to E. I thought it was one of my old college friends until I got to the paragraph where she thanked 'E' for coming over and how she had a really great time etc. I thought it was a one time thing so I didn't respond.

A few weeks go by and I get an evite for some party with hosts I've never even heard of (Todd & _____) and just deleted the email without thinking about it further.

A month goes by and said friend emails again asking how 'E' likes her Toyota Highlander and talking about her child. I responded back, pleasantly, "I believe you have the wrong email address but as far as the Highlander goes I hear it's great - my cousin has one." No response. I was excited to be rid of this doppelgänger's email.

Shortly after, another evite comes through from Todd and ____. These people must really like to party. So finally I respond and tell them that I'd love to come to their party but I have no idea who they are.

Last month I got an order from MAK Design in my email. I thought, shit this woman must have stolen my identity. So I look through her information - very expensive purchase on a Visa, no relation to mine, and she lives on an island. I'm like, hmm, almost wish I were Elisabeth Marshall. I respond and say the email address must have been inputted wrong.

I'm assuming this must be E who is friends with a Highlander lover and party people. Now she's buying a chandelier to hang on at her own parties.

Well last week MAK Design sends an email notifying Elisabeth that they no longer have what she wants in stock. I email them again. Hey idiot, my name is Erin, use other contact info!

I'm starting to wonder if the universe is telling me to run away and become Elisabeth Marshall. Or if she is just really stupid. Either way, I am getting sick and tired of being disappointed that I am not Elisabeth Marshall. Aside from her stupidity she seems to have a pretty pleasant life.

Hey E, if you're reading this stop giving away MY email address. Please. But I would love to have your correct email. That way I can get your party invites to you - obviously Todd & ___ are pretty pissed at you by now. You've probably missed both of those parties.

To make matters worse this week I get an email for Emily Marshall, from herself. Obviously she's feeling pretty stupid so I don't need to be mean to her. School is doing that to her - she emailed me her anatomy and physiology homework. I am so not going to do that for her.

Is it time I change my email address? Guess this is what I get for being one of the 1sts on gmail.

Welcome to my insanity

Hey y'all! I don't know if you know this but I have a lot to say. And lately I've been feeling like I haven't been telling everyone what is going on my mind. So... this is my blog.

Now some of you may know this already - after almost 3 years we are having to move again. For 3 weeks I was entrenched in Craigslist, rent.com, trulia.com, intown.com, condosatlanta.com, etc. Do you know what's out there right now? Not much. And have you seen the prices? Wow, these are the pre-spring prices... These are the same prices that I saw last spring/summer when we were considering possibly moving. Not cool.

I was lucky enough to spy a 2 bed/2 bath loft/condo near midtown. Closer to work, good location near everything, closer to friends, free wifi, gym included, and park close by for lil Li. We actually just returned from signing the lease. Despite the fact that I wanted to wait out my current house situation we couldn't risk any higher prices. I have talked to several people who have confirmed that prices will be going up around April and we can barely afford the "in-town" price now so we had to snag it.

While looking at the lease we noticed some fees, non-refundable of course. However, it says there will be a 0% increase to renew it in a year from now and after that it goes month to month, which is exactly what we are looking for. Also shows compensation if owner decides to sell. Thank goodness.

It's nerve wracking though. We will be living next to 2 other people and have people above us. I used to be able to sleep through anything. Then a few years into my relationship with C and now I wake up to a mouse cough. I'm hoping that since it's a loft and is mostly constructed out of concrete that we shouldn't have any problems. Cross my fingers, anyway.

We move next weekend. I should be requesting move quotes right now but instead I'm writing. Whoops. We also have about a third of the house to pack. Unpacking will be a challenge because we are going to need a bunch of things - buffet/butcher's cart, bookcases, standing wall rack for our bikes (that hopefully fit in the laundry room), a pot & pan rack, + much more.

I feel like every time I start start paying something down that something else comes along. Yup, right on time.

Attached are some photos we took. We will need some creative storage solutions so get thinking!!