kabby.net blog

Shopping and Bunnies and Bears, OH MY!

     Today started off pretty boring. I played some Gunbound. I ordered a good surge protector (after my hard drive/motherboard/who knows what else got fried last time) and a new version of Norton Internet Security (because I wanted the firewall, and it was just as expensive to get it alone as it was to get it with antivirus 2004 et cetera). Yep, dull as a dung bucket.

     Then, Jen and I decided to go to the mall (Woodfield). I got to try on my Frederick’s Corset (in black of course), which fit like a charm. Too bad the internet site is out of stock and it’ll take a month to get here. I guess that’s what happens when you pay half price for the goods.



     (That’s a poor picture of Jen – my phone’s camera isn’t all that great at taking pictures when you’re walking by Forever 21…) Jen found a shirt with a turtle on it that was like an ad for her lost turtle, very cute. We plowed through probably six different clothing stores… and I restrained myself. Jen saw a poster of the new Harry Potter movie that she hadn’t seen before, so she was happy and bought that. We got hit on by some creepy guy working at the Sbarros (which has shockingly good dipping sauce for their breadsticks). I got an Apple Peach Smoothie from this smoothie place Jen likes (very huzzah). We ended up at a Build-A-Bear, and Jen got me FLOPPY. He’s so cute! And soft! And he has bendable ears! What more could you ask for?



(That’s Floppy, the lovely buildabear bunny)

     So, after all that was through, we went back to my house and watched Chicken Run, which neither of us had seen in a long time. Then we ended up talking with my dad about Mongolia and (rawr) killing kittens.

     Rebecca from TravelCLICK sent me more work to do, and I got a small paycheck from them in the mail for stuff that I had done before. I may be doing more work for them, if the money makes it worth it. I did request that I get paid more, and it seems a little unclear what their response was. I need to send her an email tonight about that … gah, work puts me in a bad mood. Time to play with Floppy.

Feeling: Excitable

Listening to: Josie and the Pussycats – Come On Come On

July 30, 2004

Heard back from Serena Sturm

     I got a letter in the mail from Serena Sturm that said I didn’t get the job. They gave it to someone who had experience working in architecture before. I applied to another job today.

I’m going to lunch with my cousin tomorrow. I’m going to Katy’s party on Saturday, and I’m going to karaoke that night with Arun and Suketu (and maybe others). I never have plans, this is weird.

     I am working on a very ugly rug to give me something to do. I plan to turn it into a pillow for a doggy. I want a dog. No, it’s not because of this picture of a Giant Frickin Bunny, but that wouldn’t be a bad reason. Yeah, that’s a freaky looking animal.

Feeling: Fed up

Listening to: The Decemberists – July, July!

July 28, 2004

Another Day

      So today was reasonably dull.  I was on the elliptical, which is usually a bit on the creaky side.  Today, though, it made a much louder and more urgent breaking noise.  Apparently there’s nothing we can do that will fix it, since it’s made with some plastic where it should be metal.  Damn you, health rider, and your cheap parts!  Here’s a very technical diagram.  If you can fix it, I’ll give you a cookie. 





     I did a little job searching today, but I quickly got frustrated.  I guess that’s the way it’s supposed to be.  If it was so fun and exciting, more people would enjoy changing jobs.  I still haven’t heard back from Serena Sturm, and I think the soonest I would hear anything would be this Friday.  They said “a week or so,” (where a week was this past Friday), and things always run a little slower than scheduled.

     Other than that, I showed my dad the first episode of http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289830/ Taken.  It’s pretty good, and it’s the kind of show he’d like.  I think I’m gonna wait to watch the last few episodes with Alan, since I watched the first seven or eight with him.  He’s seen them before. 

Feeling: Concerned

Listening to: Eric Clapton – Tears in Heaven

July 26, 2004

Champaign visit, version 4.0

      To start, I don’t remember what I did on Thursday.  If I did something with you, I apologize. 

      Friday I woke up at 9 and I got ready to go to Alan’s.  I was determined not to hit the traffic I did before.  Nearly five hours of mostly stop and go doesn’t do it for me.  I got to Champaign at around 3pm and I got a haircut at the ever-so-famous Lando, since the shop that I liked closed down.  After that I went to see Alan, and we got some Empire Chinese.  Then we ran off to see Anchorman, which was generally okay by most accounts.  I thought Alan would like it more than he did, considering he was such a big fan of Old School. 

     Saturday we went to Cheddars for lunch (since I was in the mood for some Chips & Queso), then saw I, Robot.  He had already seen it, but he liked it so much he said he would go again.  I really enjoyed it.  I’m sure I’ll write about these two movies in my forum, just give me a couple of days.  After that, we made some pasta and watched Taken.  That evening I was sad, and that made Alan sad.

     Sunday we loafed around his room most of the day.  He was still sad, which made me sad.  In the end, we both were okay.  I think we’re improving our communication, and we’re both putting more effort into this relationship, which makes me happy.  After Alan had to go to his weekly Cornersuite Studios meeting, I met up with Arun.  We went to Wendy’s (cuz I’m always poor after spending weekends with Alan – movies and dinners are more expensive than I plan on them being).  Then we went to Petsmart and looked at the pretty cats and chinchillas and gerbils and doggies.  I wish I wasn’t allergic to cats!!!  We hung out at the Best Buy for a while, and then I took him back. 

     I’m still working on the Hot Date with Pets presentation.  I finished the first year, and I expect it all to be done by this weekend.  In the meantime, I added this little note at the bottom of my posts to give you a general idea of how I am if you don’t have the time to read my lengthy and I’m sure occasionally boring entries. 

     Now I’m home, and I’ve got plenty of things to do, but I’m exhausted.  I need to go to sleep.  Tomorrow is another day.

Feeling: hopeful

Listening to: Joe Cocker – You Are So Beautiful To Me

July 25, 2004

Chicago: Shopping

      So, today Renee, Michelle, Jessica, Ryan and I (the same group from yesterday) went to downtown.  We took the train, and we got a cab to The Grand Lux Cafe (which I highly recommend; apparently it’s a branch of the Cheesecake Factory that owns it).  I didn’t have my good camera, but I had my phone, so I took these pictures.





      After that we hit a few stores.  It was raining off and on all day, but I never had to use my umbrella.  I bought a tank top from the gap because it matched a skirt I really like and I considered a pair of shoes.  After all this, Renee wanted to hit a bar, but we just went back to Union Station.  Everything seemed to close at 6pm today, it sucked!  Anyway, once we were at Union Station, the McDonald’s' shake machine was broke, they were out of hot chocolate, and they couldn’t make sundaes for a reason I missed.  Tsk tsk to them. 

     I got home and my feet hurt.  I talked to Alan on the phone today, but he seemed kind of unhappy since he accidently slept in until 2pm today (his class starts at 10am).  He was also a little behind in his work.  I can’t wait to see him this weekend.  I miss him a lot.

July 21, 2004

Happy

      Well, today was good.  I am happy.  Last night I finished putting up the older pictures on my web site.  You should check them out, there’ s a ton.  Today I worked out (which is getting to be “as usual”) and went to Fridays with Renee, Michelle, Jessica (Michelle’s roommate), and Ryan (who I think will very soon be dating Jessica).  After that we went bowling.  I bowled a crappy 84, but it was still enjoyable. 

      I still want a dog, but mom asked me if I would rather have a bunny.  Now I am perplexed.  /me contemplates the wonderful world of bunnies vs. the wonderful world of little doggies.

     I talked to Alan on the phone.  We had a nice, happy conversation.  It made me feel warm and gooey… which promptly made up my mind about exercising tomorrow.  I definitely must. 

July 20, 2004

Updated web site

      So, here I am sitting at home with a massive desire to do something constructive.  I decided to update http://kabby.net, which took almost the entire day.  I didn’t add a lot of new stuff, but I mostly reorganized what was there for post-college-ness.  I also made it all xhtml compliant, which was a feat in itself.  With all the images I had up, it’s amazing I didn’t go insane fixing all their code.  Let me know if you’re opposed to the new color scheme in the comments of this post.

      I’m still working on the Hot Date with Pets PowerPoint.  For updated instructions, see the main page of http://kabby.net. 

     I plan to add new pictures from before college to my webpage.  I’m not sure how far in the past I will regress, but I have pictures from a very long time ago that deserve some webspace.  Even with the massive HDwP ppt on my webpage, I’ve still got over 700mb of free space not being used.  Sigh, I guess that will be work for tomorrow.

July 19, 2004

Met with Jenny, Still Want a Doggy

      Last night, I went to Idols Sports Club to see Jenny Guilfoyle, since her booking company brought the group Emotion there for a gig.  It was the first time I’d seen her in something like four years.  We were best friends in high school.  It’s weird how time can fly like that.  Anyway, she’s working, happy, and even healthy.  When we were in high school, she was definitely underweight.  Huzzah to the new Jen – boobs and ass, who’d have thunk?!

      After the bar thing (which ended at around 1am or so), we went to pick up her car and then back to her place for a good old fashioned sleep over.  We played Mario Kart Double Dash (or something like that) on her Gamecube.  Now I need one .  My birthday is coming up, I suppose.  (Mark your calendars for August 23!)  After all the video gaming, we stayed up until it was light out talking about stuff, like Brian Wrightson (I was in NABAS with him, she went to Elmhurst with him), our respective long-term boy toys, and other such things.

     I woke up at around 2pm and played more Double Dash, then went home.  I finally got to talk to Alan on the phone, since our schedules had been conflicting a bit lately, and that was nice and happy and all.  He seems to be having a good time in Champaign.  I miss him, and it’s hard to be this far away, but I believe we’re doing better than most with the long distance thing.  It helps to have a good attitude, put in a lot of effort on communication and utilize a good workout regimen.

     I still want a dog.  I told my parents, and they seem to be at least not completely against the idea.  We aren’t going to get one right away, because we want things to settle down at home first (since I don’t have a job yet, we may consider moving closer to my dad’s current job, or other things like that).  I’ve changed my mind on the dog I want, though. 



Isn’t he precious?  He’s a Toy American Eskimo, like a Samoyed (sled dog) only smaller.

July 18, 2004

In My Head it’s Still Friday

      First off, the interview went pretty well.  The people at Serena Sturm are friendly and dedicated.  I do think the job is interesting, although the money in combination with the loaded job description and the 45 minute (without rush hour) drive is undesireable.  I do believe I would learn a lot from this position, and I enjoy the atmosphere.  Essentially, to me right now, it’s a not something to get stressed out about.  I am not put off on the job, and I’m not waiting anxiously by the phone/email client.

      I want a doggy.  A lot.  Namely, at the moment, a toy poodle.  One of those really tiny dogs that has more energy in one second than I get all day.  I’m not sure what brought this on, but I believe it has something to do with visiting with Scott and Lexi at Scott’s parents’ house.  They had two dogs, and I really liked both of them.  How could you resist this cute widdle guy?



     So why am I up at 3:30 in the morning after a long day of interviewing?  Well, I was making this, because I thought it would be a good idea.  To see my “Hot Date with Pets trailer” (in other words, the first part of what I hope to be a time capsule of the first two years of my improv group), go to http://www.kabby.net/Images and right click on Hot Date with Pets.ppt to choose Save Target As.  If you need a PowerPoint viewer, go to http://office.microsoft.com/search/redir.aspx?AssetID=DC010505971033&Origin=HH011391411033&CTT=5.  Once you have it, turn on your speakers, open it up, and sit back and watch it play.

July 17, 2004

Interview Tomorrow!

      So, here I was, filing again (since we found a box of old things in the basement which included many notes and books from freshman and sophomore year), and I get a call from Janet Serena, of Serena Sturm Architects.  She wants me to come in for an interview tomorrow at 11:30am.  I don’t know how I’m ever going to wake up that early.   The office is in Northbrook, which is probably 45 minutes to an hour away.

     I’m excited and all.  My first in person interview that wasn’t with TravelCLICK.  This job, in the posting, said that it was for $28-$35k a year.  I’m okay with this, because it will be doing things that are much more interesting than what I would be doing at TravelCLICK, not to mention I would be working with new people and I wouldn’t be forced to do VBA projects for the low-low price of my full time employment wage without much hope of getting a raise.

     As for the eTRAK reports that I updated for TravelCLICK, I asked to be paid what I believe to be a fair rate for an outside consultant coder, instead of what I was being paid last year as an intern.  I have yet to hear back on their decision (whether to accept my rate, try to negotiate my rate, or find someone else to do it).

July 15, 2004