Carless in Missoula

For those of you who don't know, I love my car, Damsel. I have looked several times over the years of replacing her, well I couldn't bring myself to replace her. I know she is getting old and it's starting to show and some days I felt it was a miracle that she was still here for me. Well 9/29/07 I got rear ended in her. I got some whiplash but recovered nicely. You had to look pretty hard to tell that she was damaged, the other car just pushed her hitch in a bit. I kinda felt bad, we called the police to do a report and the kid was arrested on the spot for a warrant out on him. Wow that just made my day a whole lot better. yeah so life returned to normal for the most part. Then my friend dropped a bombshell one day that she put in her 2 week notice and was moving to Idaho just completely out of the blue. I was totally bummed out already about some other things and this just added to it. (11/5/07) I was driving home after a long day of giving massages and got hit at an uncontrolled intersection 3 houses from mine. He spun me out pretty hard and gave me a flat tire. It was a completely horrible event that only I could possibly make more complicated. I had to walk home for the insurance card and then back to the house for a tire iron (mine disappeared somehow in the accident) and then again for the keys that I left there the first trip for the card. My spare was slightly flat so we wobbled the rest of the way home. We got that fixed and it still wobbled, apparently he bent my rear axle. The upstairs kid thought his cousin could get me a part for cheap, so I waited for him to get back to me, he hasn't yet. (remember Damsel's not young anymore and putting a lot of money into her would be foolish!) Yeah, so I rode my bike to work and that was okay. Then it snowed and it stayed, then it got blasted cold. I biked to work at 5 degrees F. I started walking because bikes and ice don't mix. I have learned the bus routes and times quite well. Unfortunately they don't run at 5am when I need to get to work. Now I have a second insurance claim to deal with and I am not good with paperwork whatsoever. It's been a long month. So Jen's comment about her Mom's story of bus riding and shopping and being absolutely sure that you want your purchase really hit home! It's a lot more trouble to return stuff when you only have the bus to rely on. It made me laugh cuz it's so true. I am not sure what lesson I am going to take away from this interesting time in my life but that just one of them. I am not upset that I have to walk, just that it happened at this time of the year. I have to tell ya, we are usually lucky to have snow that stays by Christmas, Nov snow is pretty rare, why this year when I happen to be carless? I guess I can't complain, it forces me to exercise when I probably would find lots of excuses to get out of it. I am going to be in my bro's wedding this coming June and shedding a few pounds would be great! I debate every day in my head the benefits of having or not having a car. The new year is only a month away, I think I'll wait till then. If I do start my massage business then I could write it off and that would be a good deal for me. And dress fitting is coming too soon after holiday treats! besides who can afford gas prices? I am content to walk in solitude during the peaceful darkness that proceeds sunrise. So pip pip cheerio and on we go through wind, snow and ice covered sidewalks.

Autum means a change of life seasons as well

Well fall semester started without me. mmm, I feel strange not being in the academic world. I was in a bit of a panic in Aug as to what the heck I was going to do with all my free time. Well I solved that quandary this week. I start my new massage job at the school this Saturday. I am excited to be able to use my new skills. I am not sure I would want to massage as a full time job so working 3 days a week seems like a good way to test the waters. I will work about 6 days a week, but it doesn't feel like it when you change it up everyday, besides when I don't have a client I am not obligated to be there and I can get my errands done during the business week. Of course this is all hypothetical and looks OK on paper, we'll see how it plays out in real life. I really like the deep tissue aspect of massage. It is a great feeling to find the muscles that are "broken" and fix them and be able to provide relief for people that have pain. I can't explain the feeling but I come out revitalized as well. I am going to be working for the school's clinic. This is a great arrangement for me as they make all my appointments, do all the business paperwork (which I absolutely abhor), provide supplies and do the laundry. Seems perfect to me. It is also within bike riding distance from my house, so that will be super nice here in the fall, winter I am still giving it some consideration depending on the snowfall and temperatures. I am excited to move into this new phase of life and fully enjoy the start of a wonderful Autumn season.

Footing all the bills and other realities

Well here I am staring down the second month's mortage payment, left for me to soley pay out myself. I finially had to get a property management and admit to myself just how busy I really am working two jobs and going to night school and fitting in giving those free required massages at the clinic and other inconvient events that don't add up quickly enough. For clairification I have to do 50 hours of clinical massage and 30 hours of events, which is basically me giving free chair massages where there is something fun going on that other people gather there to do just that have a night out and have fun. I am not going make it by graduation time. I am bummed. I wanted so badly to be free from the requirements after July. Oh well.
Back to the house, I paid the first round of bills and was disheartened by the bank account numbers suddenly plumeting close to nothing and here I am looking forward to another month of bills. My property manager showed the apartment upstairs today and I am hopeful she and her roommate will take it. They are young and no toddlers to run over head on hardwood floors. I just hope they don't have too many late night parties.
Other than the bill woes, I am feeling the pressure of what to do next in life. Massage bussiness? Nursing? Schooling for RN? And my Camp Cedar started camp and I miss the fun and freedom of last summer...... I am desperately wondering where to go next and feel Sarah's pain deeply of that lonely single person life. I could lamet longer over life but I have to go to work to earn the bill paying paycheck......ahh work.

Pack mule and Ms.Bubbles should be my title

I finally got the key and started the long process of moving boxes, emptying a storage shed and then unloading all of them. Next came organizing the boxes into rooms, then sorting through the boxes and putting stuff in piles and then cleaning up the piles! For the first time in a decade I think I finally have all of my stuff in one location and not packed away somewhere. I have a lot of duplicate junk, mostly bottles upon bottles of lotion and other bathroom stuff. I have claimed about 1/2 of the bathroom to the from the dark side ie dirty. I am still working on the other parts of the house. My kitchen is, well small. I put up my trusty blue brick and board shelves that have been everywhere from my Agnes basement to the fire station to the shelves in my storage shed! They work great for now seeing as all I have are a few dishes and glasses to squeeze in next to the one box of cereal and package of noodles. My frig on the other hand has lots of room as I only have mustard and ketchup in it! Shopping is on the long list of things to do in the coming weekend. My next big project is going to be finding a renter for the upstairs......

My new title is Homeowner

I closed on my new house yesterday April 11, 2007. The owner's live out of state so I won't be able to take posscession until Friday the 13th. I have a lot of things to pack and move. I had the power and water transfered to my name today a whole new experiance. The water lady tricked me into telling her how many bathrooms and bedrooms are in the house and that increased my flat rate 15 bucks a month, I was not thrilled and they charge 50 bucks a month just so I can water my tiny yard. So many little things I just don't know about at a firtst time home buyer. My mortage guy gave me a key chain for my new house key which has room for two pictures in the inside. Just for giggles I think I will put him on one side and my realator on the other, they were wonderful to work with and I grateful to both of them for helping me make into my first home.

just a golden ordinary rainy day

Well I unceremoniously came to be 27 at 11:04pm in the quite somber of my sleep in someone Else's house. It turned out to be a day not so unlike any other normal day save the flowers and balloons that illuminated my dark "box" at the hospital. I got off early and returned to my house sitting job to take care of dogs who chewed everything and tried to lick me, one of my biggest pet peeves. I did manage to see my family and watch a video and eat off the good china. The movie was a fantasy of people finding each other in forever bliss and love. Yeah not exactly a pick me up for the still single at twenty-seven year old with no prospects on the horizon, not even one to dream about in the stranger's empty four level echoing house. The overwhelming blackness pushed further the next day when the aunt who didn't even call proclaimed "you didn't even do anything did you....." while we waited for Grandpa to come out of surgery. The highlight of my "Golden Birthday" was the brief phone calls/messages and emails from Trav, Jen and Heather (2 of whom are out of the country and the other in another state). The following days compounded the darkness by long annoying days at work and returning to an empty house save licking dogs and a cold drizzle to walk them in. Will the sun ever shine in my 27th year of living?

Buy Sell Agreement and the Wait

I put in a bid on a 200K+ house. Crazy, most say affirmative. It's a older home but rather nice and finished with a hodgepodge of building materials courtesy of some home improvement store's last years sales bin. The uppper level some varying degree of lavender/periwinkle. The kitchen cupboards forrest green/gray. The bathroom a clawfoot tub, which I have been told is much sought after item. My portion, the basement with large egress windows. My kitchen the bare esentials squished into a neat line on one wall with the opposing wall in close proximity. I have remodeled the disagreeable points of the house in my head. I view the house again today with the eyes of my knowledgeable father and check in with the counter offer I recieved. Travis just go with it, the only reason to counteroffer again would be for principal reasons only. We'll see. It is my payment and responsibility for the next 30 years, granted I live there that long but all the same. Luckily I have my dad to count on for repairs and remodel ideas and my creative mom for design and inspiration. Travis is great for rationale and optimism. Just for amusement I am closing on 4/20, poor Chris my realestate agent could only shake his head and smile.

Closing out year 26 of my life!

Here I am with only about a month left of my 26th year in life. Wow where has the time gone. Well here's my start to recording where that times goes and sharing it with you. Hope you enjoy my crazy shenanigans.