Oh, the sounds

I've spent quite a bit of time in our computer room this month already hammering away at this Science Fiction class. It's been interesting, but I'm ready to say goodbye. The stress of summer classes is something I cannot wait to put behind me forever.

A few weeks ago, I realized there was a super annoying sound in the wall next to the chair where I sit to read in this room. Quincy actually heard it too, one day, and tried to alternately climb the bookshelves and dive under and behind them to get to the noise. Honestly, what it first sounded like to me was a series of tiny peckings or scratchings. At first it was just every now and then for a short period of time. Now, it's constant. I pulled Kyle in a few nights ago to listen to it and he said, "Definitely mice," which I had thought, too. The sound could definitely be claws.

He wrapped on the wall a few times and his mouth fell open as he concentrated on listening. "What?" I asked. "It might be bees." I was not expecting that answer, and I laughed. Bees? Really?

Kyle took to the Internet to find out and spent at least an hour on Wikipedia learning more about carpenter bees, mostly, but a plethora of other pests with wings, as well. He had something like 10 tabs open in the browser when I walked in (yeah, I'd left the room. Bees aren't that interesting to me.). Just like me, this man loves information. Sometimes I feel like we rarely love information about the same things, but when research is necessary to figure something out, Kyle's the man. He's got the Internet by the throat! Can find anything you need.

Anyway, after this discussion and my reluctance to believe it, I noticed a bee leaving the area beside our back window this morning. I went outside in the cool morning air and stood about 10 feet away, staring at the exact location of that sound. Located on the brick in that precise locale is our water meter, and while I stood there about a dozen bees flew in and out from behind that box. Gotcha!

Now, what to do? I suppose we tell the landlord and see if they care if bees are living in our walls. Ah, the life of a renter!

Welcome, Quincy!

Here he is in all his adorable, hairy glory!

Quincy!

Look at that tail!

Our friend, Leslie, said the tail is like Quincy #2--a whole separate being.

We're only now discovering how very true that is.

Naughty or nice? You decide.

Just hanging out.

The things you can get for free (or close)

Much like my brother and my brother-in-law, Kyle loves electronics, especially the really expensive kind that do amazing things. His phone is evidence of this.It's beautiful and has internet and a sync-d calendar to Google Calendars, email, GPS, etc.

I'm not sure what brought it up, maybe our purchase of a huge TV, but somewhere in the last 4 months, he started wanting a Blu-ray player and upon searching Best Buy, he found a steal on a surround sound system with a sub, amp, and Blu-ray player. I'm totally okay with the set up we have -- the 5 remotes, the AIWA stereo that acts as our "sound system" from the early 2000s, etc. But Kyle is not satisfied when there are bigger and better electronics out there.

I told him we would spend $0 on this system, but if he wanted to use his Chase Rewards from his credit card, he could get the Best Buy gift cards and eventually have enough to purchase it.
Because of the cost of the eye surgery in addition to his typical gas and car expenses, he accrued a lot of points in the last few months.

*Note: we use our cards for everything and pay it all off within a week or two. We're not supporting the misuse of credit cards to buy things and go into debt.

He also received a few Best Buy Christmas gift cards and this week we found ourselves purchasing this insane system. 5 speakers, a sub, and a giant Blu-ray player, the size of an old record player. Because of a cable we had to buy (there's always something else to upgrade to), we ended up spending $30, I think. It came in the mail, was shipped for free, and he set it up last night. Well, most of it. We still have to figure out what to do about the back speakers. No place for them just yet.

Can you spot the speakers below?

I'll help you.

Here's the whole Blu-ray bit (it's huge) and then the center speaker on the tiny shelf above it.

The side speakers are this tiny (top left on shelf). Remember how HUGE my AIWA ones were?

Look at the size of this remote for the system (right)? It's like a sword.

Our first viewing was not a Blu-ray disc (we don't have ANY, of course), but a new DVD I bought for $1.94. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (book/movie 5). Apparently these Blu-ray machines are supposed to improve the picture quality even of regular DVDs because of the new cables they use. Yeah, that's not a technical answer, but it's the extent of my limited understanding.


So, there you have it. A multi-hundred dollar system for $30. A DVD for almost $2. That was our Friday night!

All in the course of a week

• I discovered an attic in my house (er...well...Kyle did).
  
  
• I developed a rare tongue-ear-throat-nose issue that laid me up for a day.
  
  
• I took my first sick day of the year (and since passing out in March).
  
  
• Had the carpet removed from my kitchen (and soon to be from the bathroom) and replaced with vinyl. Who ever thought I'd be happy to have vinyl?!
  
  
• We began rearranging my house to become our house.
  
  
• He began moving his stuff in.
  
  
• I shared my favorite movie with him.
  
  
• Visited the chiropractor twice (to fix the pinched nerve from last week).
  
  
• Attended a shower in my honor with people from work: a lovely event.
  
  

Despite the chaos, confusion, lack of concentration, and frustrations of the last month, I am content. I am happy to be so close and continually moving toward this marriage and life with Kyle.

Holiday travel update

I know it's been over a week since I last posted. Too true. My only excuse is that I was road-tripping to North Carolina again, this time with Leslie.

We stayed with the Edwards' near Charlotte and thoroughly enjoyed the southern cookin', warm weather, and general hilarity of being with that family.

The trip takes 10 hours each way. It's much easier with a driving partner, and yet...by the end of yesterday's driving, Leslie and I were ready to be done with each other. We still have two days where we are each other's only conversation partner, and we're making it. Today passed by quickly with sleeping in, vacuum sealing my windows with two-sided tape, plastic, and a hair dryer, taking a 5-mile walk, and doing four loads of laundry. She's going out tonight to a friend's and I'm staying in to soak up the "me" time and get some music swapping done from her laptop to my computer. I love sharing music.

I'm tired, though, and ready to see other people. I have a date planned with Leslie D., one with Amanda, and hopefully I'll see a few other old school people while in Roch. We're excited for Evan's birthday gaming fun on New Year's Eve, too.

So, when I said nothing exciting was happening...

...I guess it depends on your definition of exciting.

Last week, a neighborhood cat mistook my front door for her own, which is across the street from me. This is how I knew.

Morning #1) pile of cat yak right outside my front door.
Afternoon #1) come home to said cat cleaning up her own vomit.

Morning #2) second pile of cat yak a foot from the one the day before.

Morning #3) once again, a clean front stoop on no account of my own.

Afternoon #4) dead baby bird, half-eaten, in between 2 former piles of vomit.

After catching the cat cleaning up after herself that first afternoon, I tried to befriend her. That way, if she continued with her "presents" outside my front door, I'd also be getting the benefit of a friendship from her. But she was skittish, seemingly terrified of me, and ran back to her home.

I'll give her this: every front stoop in our neighborhood is the same. Maybe she did actually get confused the first time. But after that, after I tried to befriend her, I think it was spite. I haven't seen her around my place since the dead baby bird showed up.

MAJOR PURCHASE

I made quite the purchase today. First, a little background info. In order to finish my latest favorite project, I had to acquire a piece of equipment. Thanks to a generous gift from my grandparents and some money from Xmas, I was able to make this purchase without thinking twice.

Here she is in all of her glory!

I had to do some research - contacting friends and family who I thought might be able to give me some advice, checking out product reviews online, and actually visiting the store to make the final decision.

I'm happy with my choice - although I think a Singer or Brother would probably also have been just fine. However, I could find less online about Brother machines, and have heard some not-so-great personal accounts of their machines. I have nothing against them, but I heard more good things about Kenmore and Singer. As my aunt told me, "Not all brands and not all machines are created equal."

A major reason for choosing Kenmore was the incredible sale that was going on this weekend. I saved $150...so to me, that was worth it.

I'm excited to move on to the next stage in the making of my quilt--actually sewing. I just remembered, however, that I don't have any thread. Dang! A girl can't remember everything, now can she!

O, GLORIOUS DAY!

I have Internet access at home! Amazing.

I apologize for the undue delay in posting. After arriving back in Indiana from a 15 day hiatus in Arizona, I plunged head-long into setting up house. Although, if you've read any of the previous month's posts, you might think I'd already done so. But alas, I found a room full of random things waiting for me at my parents' home and decided to bring a great deal of it with me. Books and whatnot, posters, bookends, scrapbooking supplies (getting ready for the class I'm taking!), etc.

Today finds me employed (oh happy day!), 4th day on the job and elated to finally have Internet access at home. What was I ever thinking that I could live without. I should never have entertained that thought!

I'd love visitors - provided you give me enough advanced notice to clean up.

Oh, and I love my job. Granted, there isn't much for one to do in the first week except clean up and arrange the office, set up the computer with all sorts of personal preferences, and think about the many things I will do eventually.

I'm back, and feeling good!

I APOLOGIZE FOR MY NEGLIGENCE

But it has been a crazy couple of weeks.

I graduated from college - went through the ceremony and everything. Here I am in my garb.

I moved into my own apartment and with the help of my parents, Cat, and Simon, it looks pretty amazing. Here are some preliminary shots (kitchen and guest bedroom).

I entertained for the first 2 1/2 days while living in my new apartment - being with Cat is always amazing!

I was invited over for my first neighborly dinner at Liz & Chalupa's. Waffles with blueberries are lovely!

I arranged for cable, Internet, insurances, etc. to all happen after I return from my Christmas extravaganza with the fam in The Zone (short for Arizona). That felt like a very grown-up thing to do.

Now I'm at my parents for the next few days--seeing old friends, hanging out with the 'rents, and, to everyone's surprise, making a t-shirt quilt of all my old fav's. This quilt is going to be amazing, despite the fact that I've misplaced my two favorite shirts of all time (they were the original inspiration for this crazy crafty project). I haven't taken any pictures of it yet, but will within a day or two. You should be expecting something spectacular; I sure am. But we'll see.

Off to see a movie or something fun, at least.