Labor Day Weekend

It's amazing how much obtaining a bed -- not a couch or air mattress -- can change your state of mind. It's even better when it's on loan for free for a year. I don't even care that the platform for the mattress is still at the owner's house and that my mattress is simply sitting on my room floor. I have a bed. I am happy.

Perhaps it's even more appropriate that I'm drinking my $3.00 apple wine from Grocery Outlet (and I thought Trader Joe's was awesome...) and microwaved chicken nuggets while watching podcasts. I feel like I'm reliving what most people would call the college experience, except that I am being meagerly paid for my work, I don't have nearly the same amount of people around me all the time, and there is no caf. I never realized how handy having a cafeteria, Jazzman's, or 1780 is. I could totally use a chocolatey chip muffin right now, by the way. The perfect complement for c-nugs. I still miss brunch c-nugs from the caf...*sigh*.

I promise I was pretty productive today -- my roommate Cortney and I went to get my bed, I went grocery shopping and walked around Madrona, watched UK drill UL in college football (woo CATS!), and drove to get a keyboard. Yes, that's another goal of mine: start playing piano again. The most fun piece I could ever play was some really evil-sounding 3-pager entitled "Tyrannosaurus Rex." I definitely appreciated it more than any Bach or Beethoven piece I learned. The cool part about this keyboard is that I also have the usb/midi hookup for the computer, so I can use Garage Band for the first time (!!!) A nice Yamaha keyboard with stand and usb hookup for 60 bucks. A total steal. If you realize the talent within me, you should apply to be my manager. Resume and 3 references please, and the ability to perhaps play another instrument other than keyboard is preferred.

I also managed to write down all the ideas for a career path for myself. Instead of narrowing the choices, per one of the goals of this move, they've expanded. Not good.

- editor
- physical anthropologist
- physician's assistant
- higher ed
- something outdoorsy
- anything relating to the news, particularly NPR.
- anything related to politics (lobbying?) and not involving me supporting the Republican party.
- writer/journalist
- anything involving me hanging out with nerds.

Yesterday was a less productive day, though probably more exciting. My roommate Kerry and I traveled to Heather Lake in the Mt. Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest. It was only a 4 mile hike in total, but it was chilly and a good bit of the trail was muddy. My fingers re-lived the marching band days by becoming rigid and almost immobile. However, the view was totally worth it.

I also met Alex Albrecht from podcasts Diggnation and Totally Rad Show at a bar in downtown Seattle:It took a beer for me to gain the confidence to approach him and the swarm of nerds surrounding him. Luckily for me, he was kind, hilarious, and totally natural. We joked around a bit, and then he had more fan dudes to appease. After quickly vacating the bar, I walked around downtown for a bit trying to find the bus to get up to the U-District to hang out with work people -- A night of Scrabble and a 24-ounce PBR. I can't help myself, I'm still reeeeeally cheap. I appreciate a good beer, but on my budget, I'll take what I can get. I did, however, give up the opportunity to see Bon Iver downtown, but I can't attend every cool show that comes around.

Tomorrow = Bumbershooooot!!! I'm seeing a variety of bands...Paramore, Langhorne Slim, Battles, Old 97's, and Death Cab for Cutie. Plus it'll be my first time by the Space Needle -- what better time to be a tourist than among thousands of other tourists?!

Busy busy busy, just as I like it.