Little by little I'm getting more information about when we'll be leaving and the circumstances around that auspicious event. (Though I'm sure some of my family and friends would refer to it as an ass-picious event. Those with dirtier minds would, anyway.)
I wish I could find out everything at once. Then I wouldn't be chomping at the bit. I want to talk to my current boss and let her know what's going on, but I don't know what's going on yet!
After talking to the Wasilla Store Manager today, I was told to expect to begin training for Office Manager in Reno about the middle of August. Then interviews for the Wasilla store will begin around the 28th or so of September, so we'd be flying up a few days beforehand to get our bearings and look for apartments to live in. We'd be going up for good probably a week after the interviews.
I've been searching online and there are at least two apartment complexes with decent rent prices within five minutes of the store. We plan to start house hunting in January after all the holiday hullabaloo falls off.
Anyway, it looks like I'll be holding the Moving to Alaska Yard Sale within the first couple of weeks of August. I'll just have to live without my PlayStation until... next year maybe? Eek, what a dreadful thought! How will I get my Grand Theft Auto fix?!
I've already started rooting out stuff. Got a big pile of clothes and craft goodies next to the front door that's growing every day. Don't know how Logan is doing with selling the extra cars yet. Perhaps I should start bugging him tonight after the show.
Holy Marinated Mother! I've got a show tonight! I need to go eat my dinner and get my "Chrissy Mae" on.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
After the "day off"...
Happy Day After Independence Day!
Yesterday was quite full. I went with Logan to the store to have my official informal interview.
Informal. Basically the Wasilla Store Manager just wanted to make sure that Logan wasn't bullying me into going to Alaska. I said, "Are you kidding? I'm the first one who thought about it!"
And then we spent the rest of the time talking about Alaska. You know, the gangs in Anchorage with the occasional drive-by, the booming dope gardens, the crystal meth labs ...
Oh, wait. That's the kind of thing my mother wouldn't want to hear about. (Sorry, Mom.)
Yeah, we've heard Alaska has it's own fair share of problems. People move up there for the freedom, but then they try to make it exactly like where they came from. We're going up there because it's different, not in spite of it.
After my "interview", I spent the next couple of hours talking to people I used to work with. Boy, news travels fast along this grapevine. People were already calling me Officer Manager when I ran into them.
I also ran into Karen, my first martial arts instructor, and told her all about it. She seemed very excited for us and again reiterated the karate curse of triplet boys on us. Is it any wonder I'm afraid to have even one kid?! That one could very easily be three at once!!
When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.
Well, I went home and tried to get some work done. I had to stop sooner than I wanted because I started getting a migraine. I think I've reached the point my eye doctor warned me about. I can't do work wearing my contacts without getting a headache. I guess I'll have to wear glasses 24/7 very soon. How depressing. But those are issues I'll get into some other day.
Went to the family party at my cousins' house after picking Logan up from work. What fun. Tons of food, music, and talking with family. Not exactly Logan's cup of tea, especially when Mom breaks out her camcorder (scrapbook freak), but then he grew up in a very different type of family than mine. He's handling it so well though. He's got a good attitude.
The fireworks were beautiful. My brother bought out the stand because he'd gotten paid right before buying fireworks, so he brought the mother lode with him. It was a long, crackly night.
My brother and my cousins jumped the shower of sparks from the cones, crashing into the ladder and each other on occasion. The Three Stooges on the Fourth of July.
I was playing with Nino and another younger boy and a big inflatable ball. I had just lunged out wide and grabbed the ball when someone set off the first firework of the night. It was one of those screamers. When I heard it, I thought it was the ball in my arms exploding so I dropped it with a squeal. My mom got it on camera. That's one for America's funniest home videos.
A bunch of us used the sticks to write our names on the sidewalk. That's one thing that the new sparklers have over the old sparklers. I still miss the old ones though.
I hope everyone enjoyed their Independence Day as much as I did. Blessed be.
Yesterday was quite full. I went with Logan to the store to have my official informal interview.
Informal. Basically the Wasilla Store Manager just wanted to make sure that Logan wasn't bullying me into going to Alaska. I said, "Are you kidding? I'm the first one who thought about it!"
And then we spent the rest of the time talking about Alaska. You know, the gangs in Anchorage with the occasional drive-by, the booming dope gardens, the crystal meth labs ...
Oh, wait. That's the kind of thing my mother wouldn't want to hear about. (Sorry, Mom.)
Yeah, we've heard Alaska has it's own fair share of problems. People move up there for the freedom, but then they try to make it exactly like where they came from. We're going up there because it's different, not in spite of it.
After my "interview", I spent the next couple of hours talking to people I used to work with. Boy, news travels fast along this grapevine. People were already calling me Officer Manager when I ran into them.
I also ran into Karen, my first martial arts instructor, and told her all about it. She seemed very excited for us and again reiterated the karate curse of triplet boys on us. Is it any wonder I'm afraid to have even one kid?! That one could very easily be three at once!!
When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.
Well, I went home and tried to get some work done. I had to stop sooner than I wanted because I started getting a migraine. I think I've reached the point my eye doctor warned me about. I can't do work wearing my contacts without getting a headache. I guess I'll have to wear glasses 24/7 very soon. How depressing. But those are issues I'll get into some other day.
Went to the family party at my cousins' house after picking Logan up from work. What fun. Tons of food, music, and talking with family. Not exactly Logan's cup of tea, especially when Mom breaks out her camcorder (scrapbook freak), but then he grew up in a very different type of family than mine. He's handling it so well though. He's got a good attitude.
The fireworks were beautiful. My brother bought out the stand because he'd gotten paid right before buying fireworks, so he brought the mother lode with him. It was a long, crackly night.
My brother and my cousins jumped the shower of sparks from the cones, crashing into the ladder and each other on occasion. The Three Stooges on the Fourth of July.
I was playing with Nino and another younger boy and a big inflatable ball. I had just lunged out wide and grabbed the ball when someone set off the first firework of the night. It was one of those screamers. When I heard it, I thought it was the ball in my arms exploding so I dropped it with a squeal. My mom got it on camera. That's one for America's funniest home videos.
A bunch of us used the sticks to write our names on the sidewalk. That's one thing that the new sparklers have over the old sparklers. I still miss the old ones though.
I hope everyone enjoyed their Independence Day as much as I did. Blessed be.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
It's Official..
We are moving!
(Theater brats, name that line!)
Here's the hilarious part. This whole thing came up with Logan having been working his butt off and now people are finally noticing what a great employee he is. So we were waiting on the final word on his management position before selling our stuff and throwing what's left into Rubbermaid Totes.
Well, we're still waiting for word on whether he has the Gun Room Manager slot or not.
I'm officially Office Manager.
I'm shaking so much, it's hard to type@$(j392dw)(&%#
See?!
I've never been a manager before. I have no idea what to expect. I'm scared witless.
But moving to Alaska doesn't phase me one bit. Isn't that a laugh.
(Crickets chirping)
Well, maybe not.
So now it begins. Lots of furniture to move, cleaning and packing and dusting and polishing...
(Okay, even die hard theater brats won't know that one unless they've visited Olde Coloma Theatre recently. http://groups.myspace.com/oldcolomatheatre
That should give you a better idea. Good lord, this is the last show I'll be doing in California for ... uh ... a long time!)
I'll be going in for a formal interview tomorrow. Holy Mary Mother of Moonbeams, I have to tell my current boss I'm quitting! I hope there's something left of me after the blaze dies down.
So maybe we won't be leaving as early as the end of August after all. Logan said something about possibly staying here until the end of September, flying up there to do interviews for three days, coming back for a week, then going up for good in October.
But as annoying as it is, everything is still up in the air.
Oops, may mac and cheese is done. Now if only I still felt like eating.
(Theater brats, name that line!)
Here's the hilarious part. This whole thing came up with Logan having been working his butt off and now people are finally noticing what a great employee he is. So we were waiting on the final word on his management position before selling our stuff and throwing what's left into Rubbermaid Totes.
Well, we're still waiting for word on whether he has the Gun Room Manager slot or not.
I'm officially Office Manager.
I'm shaking so much, it's hard to type@$(j392dw)(&%#
See?!
I've never been a manager before. I have no idea what to expect. I'm scared witless.
But moving to Alaska doesn't phase me one bit. Isn't that a laugh.
(Crickets chirping)
Well, maybe not.
So now it begins. Lots of furniture to move, cleaning and packing and dusting and polishing...
(Okay, even die hard theater brats won't know that one unless they've visited Olde Coloma Theatre recently. http://groups.myspace.com/oldcolomatheatre
That should give you a better idea. Good lord, this is the last show I'll be doing in California for ... uh ... a long time!)
I'll be going in for a formal interview tomorrow. Holy Mary Mother of Moonbeams, I have to tell my current boss I'm quitting! I hope there's something left of me after the blaze dies down.
So maybe we won't be leaving as early as the end of August after all. Logan said something about possibly staying here until the end of September, flying up there to do interviews for three days, coming back for a week, then going up for good in October.
But as annoying as it is, everything is still up in the air.
Oops, may mac and cheese is done. Now if only I still felt like eating.
Monday, July 2, 2007
How to move the cats
My cats are very important to me. There's no way I'm giving them up when they chose us to begin with. So they must come to Alaska, too.
They are indoor kitties, so living in a wild, cold place like Alaska isn't going to be a problem, especially for Dusty and his big belly and thick coat of long fur. And he'll keep skinny Asuka warm by pouncing on her every five minutes.
But I've never traveled such a long distance with cats before. An hour at the most. And that was difficult enough as it was.
So I've been pondering the different ways we could be moving. Logan said the traditional way for the company is to ship our stuff, ship our car, and we fly up.
Ugh. I hate flying. No way.
So then we considered driving up through Canada, which could take like four or five days, or driving up to Washington and taking the ferry up.
Either way, that's a lot of time spent in the car. A vast potential for a lot of problems as well. What if they don't eat, drink, or go potty that entire time? They could make themselves really sick. Starting as a new manager and speaking completely selfishly, I don't want to have sick kitties on my list of things to freak out about.
After some Internet research, I decided to buy a couple of harnesses and leashes and teach them to walk around outside safely. I found a dark blue one for Dusty and a hot pink one for Asuka, with matching leashes.
I put the harnesses on them as soon as I got home. Having worn collars for a year now, getting them on wasn't the problem.
Dusty didn't even notice his, of course. He is so laid back he spends most of the day on his back with his paws in the air. That big belly of his keeps him well balanced. He did roll around for a few minutes, but that was it.
Asuka acted like a fly was buzzing in her ears. She lashed her tail, sprang in the air as if zapped with a cattle prod, and twitched her ears back and forth a lot. This went on for a few hours. She kept licking and scratching at it, too.
But she's used to it now. And I took them both outside for their first airing yesterday. Asuka acted like I had attached a 30 pound weight to her back when I clipped on the leash; she flattened her back and walked with bent knees for a bit.
Dusty thought it all was just soooo cool. But of course, neither of them wanted to go in the same direction, so there I was with my arms way out at my sides like I was trying to fly to Alaska on my own hot air. We were only out on our back area, which is enclosed with a chest high wall, but with gaping spots underneath for any and all creatures to slip through.
After a bit, Dusty got tired of not being allowed to go any further, so he started trying to back out of the harness. I used his distraction to get him a little closer to Asuka so I could scoop both of them up and whisk them away back to familiar territory behind doors.
Today, I took them out on the walkway in front of the apartment one at a time. Dusty,being the cooler head, I took first. He hovered by the door a bit, but then walked right next to me partway down the walk. I swear he was a dog in his past life.
But after a couple of feet, he lost his nerve and turned back for home. So then I took Asuka out. She jumped into the nearest bush and would not come out. Oh, well. I had to step into the foliage next to our front door to extract her from the bush and take her back in.
Actually, I think they both handled it okay. They'll get better over time and this way I'll be able to take them for walks at rest stops on the trip up.
Though now I'm starting to think flying might be better after all, for them. More on that later.
They are indoor kitties, so living in a wild, cold place like Alaska isn't going to be a problem, especially for Dusty and his big belly and thick coat of long fur. And he'll keep skinny Asuka warm by pouncing on her every five minutes.
But I've never traveled such a long distance with cats before. An hour at the most. And that was difficult enough as it was.
So I've been pondering the different ways we could be moving. Logan said the traditional way for the company is to ship our stuff, ship our car, and we fly up.
Ugh. I hate flying. No way.
So then we considered driving up through Canada, which could take like four or five days, or driving up to Washington and taking the ferry up.
Either way, that's a lot of time spent in the car. A vast potential for a lot of problems as well. What if they don't eat, drink, or go potty that entire time? They could make themselves really sick. Starting as a new manager and speaking completely selfishly, I don't want to have sick kitties on my list of things to freak out about.
After some Internet research, I decided to buy a couple of harnesses and leashes and teach them to walk around outside safely. I found a dark blue one for Dusty and a hot pink one for Asuka, with matching leashes.
I put the harnesses on them as soon as I got home. Having worn collars for a year now, getting them on wasn't the problem.
Dusty didn't even notice his, of course. He is so laid back he spends most of the day on his back with his paws in the air. That big belly of his keeps him well balanced. He did roll around for a few minutes, but that was it.
Asuka acted like a fly was buzzing in her ears. She lashed her tail, sprang in the air as if zapped with a cattle prod, and twitched her ears back and forth a lot. This went on for a few hours. She kept licking and scratching at it, too.
But she's used to it now. And I took them both outside for their first airing yesterday. Asuka acted like I had attached a 30 pound weight to her back when I clipped on the leash; she flattened her back and walked with bent knees for a bit.
Dusty thought it all was just soooo cool. But of course, neither of them wanted to go in the same direction, so there I was with my arms way out at my sides like I was trying to fly to Alaska on my own hot air. We were only out on our back area, which is enclosed with a chest high wall, but with gaping spots underneath for any and all creatures to slip through.
After a bit, Dusty got tired of not being allowed to go any further, so he started trying to back out of the harness. I used his distraction to get him a little closer to Asuka so I could scoop both of them up and whisk them away back to familiar territory behind doors.
Today, I took them out on the walkway in front of the apartment one at a time. Dusty,being the cooler head, I took first. He hovered by the door a bit, but then walked right next to me partway down the walk. I swear he was a dog in his past life.
But after a couple of feet, he lost his nerve and turned back for home. So then I took Asuka out. She jumped into the nearest bush and would not come out. Oh, well. I had to step into the foliage next to our front door to extract her from the bush and take her back in.
Actually, I think they both handled it okay. They'll get better over time and this way I'll be able to take them for walks at rest stops on the trip up.
Though now I'm starting to think flying might be better after all, for them. More on that later.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
My Reasons for Moving (clears throat) ...
Okay, so I said yesterday that I had some reasons for wanting to move to Alaska. So here's my list:
1) I don't tan, so my time in California sun is wasted anyway.
2) I have a fantastic spouse creature that will keep me warm.
3) California laws suck.
4) There are more Libertarians in Alaska.
5) I'm obsessed with "Little House on the Prairie" books and have always wanted to be closer to nature and live a more self-sufficient lifestyle.
6) There's a fantastic growing season for gardens. With 20 hours of sunlight a day, I've heard people can grow the biggest vegetables!
7) I won't have to wear shorts anymore, so I won't have to shave my legs. (Logan cringes when I mention that.)
8) We will actually be able to purchase a house, a near impossibility in California.
9) Upon purchasing said house, we will finally be open to the idea of having kids. (My parents are probably shouting hallelujah right now and dancing a jig around their living room.)
10) We're both being offered fantastic jobs, a must have before even considering a move to Alaska.
There's probably more, but those are the ones that stick out in my mind right now as I write this.
I just hate waiting for everything to be settled. Technically I still don't have the job that I was offered (waiting on one higher-up who's never met me to give the okay), but Logan's is solid.
And I think I may actually be willing to climb on a plane to get there, at least for the sake of my cats. But more on the cats tomorrow.
1) I don't tan, so my time in California sun is wasted anyway.
2) I have a fantastic spouse creature that will keep me warm.
3) California laws suck.
4) There are more Libertarians in Alaska.
5) I'm obsessed with "Little House on the Prairie" books and have always wanted to be closer to nature and live a more self-sufficient lifestyle.
6) There's a fantastic growing season for gardens. With 20 hours of sunlight a day, I've heard people can grow the biggest vegetables!
7) I won't have to wear shorts anymore, so I won't have to shave my legs. (Logan cringes when I mention that.)
8) We will actually be able to purchase a house, a near impossibility in California.
9) Upon purchasing said house, we will finally be open to the idea of having kids. (My parents are probably shouting hallelujah right now and dancing a jig around their living room.)
10) We're both being offered fantastic jobs, a must have before even considering a move to Alaska.
There's probably more, but those are the ones that stick out in my mind right now as I write this.
I just hate waiting for everything to be settled. Technically I still don't have the job that I was offered (waiting on one higher-up who's never met me to give the okay), but Logan's is solid.
And I think I may actually be willing to climb on a plane to get there, at least for the sake of my cats. But more on the cats tomorrow.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
A little background on me
While my friends and family already know more about me than I ever needed them to, I realized that there are people out there who don't know me. Therefore, this dramatic life change of moving to Alaska may not seem so dramatic until you digest a few facts in my food fight existence.
I was born in California and have lived here all my life. I'm 31 years old now. I was born in May, so I think summer sun is in my blood. I'm also a twiglet, as my best friend likes to call me, so winter times can be a trial in keeping warm.
I don't travel much. I just... don't travel all that well. I get car sick easy and I refuse to fly. Boats I can handle as long as we're not too far from a shore. I have a fear of drowning. Hey, I'm a Taurus. I like to have my hooves planted solidly in the dirt. I'd roll in mud if I had the opportunity. It's wonderful for the skin!
The farthest I have been from home is LA (Disneyland trip with my family), Reno (massage classes), and somewhere in Washington State (visiting family).
I hope you are starting to see why moving to Alaska has totally flabbergasted most of the people who know me.
Now, I can hear you shrieking, "Why oh why is she wanting to move to a state that's on the other side of Canada where winter temps will be in the single digits on a warm day and only 70s in the summer? Is she insane?"
Well, if you look my blog over carefully, you'd see that I've already admitted to that.
As to other reasons, they do exist. But I need to go back to work. I'll post about those tomorrow. Maybe. (Grabs paper and pen, mumbling about finding at least one @#%# good reason before tomorrow.)
Wait, is this thing still on?
I was born in California and have lived here all my life. I'm 31 years old now. I was born in May, so I think summer sun is in my blood. I'm also a twiglet, as my best friend likes to call me, so winter times can be a trial in keeping warm.
I don't travel much. I just... don't travel all that well. I get car sick easy and I refuse to fly. Boats I can handle as long as we're not too far from a shore. I have a fear of drowning. Hey, I'm a Taurus. I like to have my hooves planted solidly in the dirt. I'd roll in mud if I had the opportunity. It's wonderful for the skin!
The farthest I have been from home is LA (Disneyland trip with my family), Reno (massage classes), and somewhere in Washington State (visiting family).
I hope you are starting to see why moving to Alaska has totally flabbergasted most of the people who know me.
Now, I can hear you shrieking, "Why oh why is she wanting to move to a state that's on the other side of Canada where winter temps will be in the single digits on a warm day and only 70s in the summer? Is she insane?"
Well, if you look my blog over carefully, you'd see that I've already admitted to that.
As to other reasons, they do exist. But I need to go back to work. I'll post about those tomorrow. Maybe. (Grabs paper and pen, mumbling about finding at least one @#%# good reason before tomorrow.)
Wait, is this thing still on?
All right, here it is...
Here's the moment you've all been waiting for... Well, maybe not. But it's my blog, so I can pretend like I have throngs of adoring fans hanging on my every typed word.
Logan has been offered a management position for a new store opening in Wasilla, Alaska. Here's another clincher: They've offered me one, too. Even though I haven't worked there in the last five months or so.
The guy that offered the jobs remembers me and understands the reasons I quit in the first place. Reasons such as a fairly incompetent manager over me, a total jacka** in management who was sleeping with the female employees, the fact that I was promised a raise and didn't get it, the fact that we were promised matching schedules which didn't happen... I could go on for a while, but those were the big ones.
And for those with lewd thoughts running through their heads, get your minds out of the gutter so mine can float by. No, that creep didn't try to sleep with me. In fact, I think he was scared of me, what with me being edumacated and all. I think he was worried I'd be after his job. He didn't like me at all. And he was a prime jerk.
So the upshot is that Logan will be Gun Room Manager and I will be Office Manager.
I'm more frightened of that than I am of the move to Alaska.
No details to post yet. We're not even sure when we'll be leaving, only that we're probably expected to be there by September. We're engaged in constant debates. Do we keep the Yaris and buy a 4 wheel drive truck? Do we buy it before we move or after? Do we sell all the furniture to make it easier to move or do we want to keep some of it? Do we keep the dome or sell it for extra money? What's the best way to move the kitties up there?
I hate everything being up in the air like this. I'm sure it's driving my mom crazy, too. (Sorry, Mom.)
At least the company will be paying for the moving expenses. It's great for them because they're getting two employees for the price of one.
Okay. Guess I need to go back to work now. I've got a performance tonight. I'll post every time I've got something new to tell, so it might not be every day. I'll also answer questions that people post in the comments.
Blessed be.
Logan has been offered a management position for a new store opening in Wasilla, Alaska. Here's another clincher: They've offered me one, too. Even though I haven't worked there in the last five months or so.
The guy that offered the jobs remembers me and understands the reasons I quit in the first place. Reasons such as a fairly incompetent manager over me, a total jacka** in management who was sleeping with the female employees, the fact that I was promised a raise and didn't get it, the fact that we were promised matching schedules which didn't happen... I could go on for a while, but those were the big ones.
And for those with lewd thoughts running through their heads, get your minds out of the gutter so mine can float by. No, that creep didn't try to sleep with me. In fact, I think he was scared of me, what with me being edumacated and all. I think he was worried I'd be after his job. He didn't like me at all. And he was a prime jerk.
So the upshot is that Logan will be Gun Room Manager and I will be Office Manager.
I'm more frightened of that than I am of the move to Alaska.
No details to post yet. We're not even sure when we'll be leaving, only that we're probably expected to be there by September. We're engaged in constant debates. Do we keep the Yaris and buy a 4 wheel drive truck? Do we buy it before we move or after? Do we sell all the furniture to make it easier to move or do we want to keep some of it? Do we keep the dome or sell it for extra money? What's the best way to move the kitties up there?
I hate everything being up in the air like this. I'm sure it's driving my mom crazy, too. (Sorry, Mom.)
At least the company will be paying for the moving expenses. It's great for them because they're getting two employees for the price of one.
Okay. Guess I need to go back to work now. I've got a performance tonight. I'll post every time I've got something new to tell, so it might not be every day. I'll also answer questions that people post in the comments.
Blessed be.
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