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Friday, July 13, 2012

Yipes, a black cat also crossed my path!

It was a Friday the 13th type day at work. Some things went wrong, I made some errors, but in the end it all worked out! I was introduced to...uhh. Shoot, what was the type of ink called? When it got hot, the color set/burned into the shirts, so it wasn't so much on the fabric as in it. The ink had to be printed right away, and the emulsion double coated, and the squeegees washed out right away as well, but with water not oil, so that was nice. Cool to learn new things! I also fiddled with the microregistration. Fiddled a lot and still didn't quite get it, and Chris got it in like a second, but hes a pro. Still, good to have experience! I finished The Night Circus. It was good, though I felt it lacked a certain depth and detail to it. I started Reamde, and it seems interesting. I caught shirts. We did some sleeves and fronts. Tomorrow is an early day. Lots of catching. Then an Odd Owl house show! Hopefully some time in between to relax.

Had some pasta for dinner. Read a bit. Internetted a bit. Now I shall go to bed.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

time to become a beach babe

Felt like blogging early, so I'm doing just that. It's an odd thing to keep a blog going for years and years. College is ever changing, and my life surely hasn't approached "settled" right now. But it does feel different. I'm cataloging a different part of my life, different sort of undertakings, different meetings of people.

I hear the sound of a novelty horn. Maybe it is an ice cream man?

Anyway. I started blogging almost five years ago (August 20th, 2007 to be exact). I'll sum up that anniversary when I arrive at it, though.

Anyway. Oh I think I use anyway too much in my writing. But this is a general blog, not one of great importance. So I can do what I like and be as redundant and repetitive as I like.

I worked another short day today. Again, I don't mind because the next couple days will be longer and far more active days. I burned some screens. I taped some screens. I sorted some ink out.

Got back at just after 3. Relaxed. Then I walked down to the beach and read Shadow of Night while basking in the late afternoon sun. It is an easy walk. About as long as it took to get to the grocery store from Carmen & Josh's. Except instead of tasty apples, it's the ocean (well Monterey Bay, but it goes out into the ocean, so whatever). I live within easy distance of the beach! Ahhh! That is amazing. I love that.

Returned. Ate some eggs and rice and seaweed. Set aside a couple boiled eggs to turn into egg salad, which I'll turn into an egg salad sandwich. I'm slowly remembering all my very plain recipes.

Now I think I'll read some more. Or something. I can do what I want, I'm an adult!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Relaxin' Wednesday

Got to work between 10 and 10:30. That seems to be the range to shoot for, which works for me.

Today ended up being a lot of cleaning and prep. Cleaned the press, did some vacuuming, unboxed some thins, reclaimed some screens, taped some screens. Ah the ebb and flow of commercial work. Big jobs surge and then are done and then there is a bit of waiting. Thankfully working a shorter day isn't so bad when you only have to drive ten minutes in. Quicky in, quicky out. And I had to mail a parcel, though I should have done it through USPS instead of UPS, because I think UPS hiked up the rates a bit. Ah, oh well.

I had some pasta and sauce for dinner and started reading Shadow of Night. Ohhh yay. Then I took a nap. A three hour nap? Or maybe it was just two? Anyway, I took a nap. A prolonged one. Janet showed me some of the shirts she printed today. They were quite swell. Screen printing on the other end of the apparel spectrum, haha!

Now I'm back to being tired, so I'm going to sit in bed and read. I wish I had a proper bed. I sleep fine, it's just a bit hard...what with it being a mattress pad on the floor. Oops, just realized that I agreed to work this weekend (and will probably take Monday off) so that means no weekend bed shopping. Ah, I'll manage. It's really not that bad. Like I said, just some getting used to.

I should swing by the Salvation Army that is nearby and see what assorted furniture they have. May not have a bed, but could find a night stand or desk or something.

I keep thinking I'm almost done with The Night Circus, but not quite. Darn audiobooks on my dark screen mp3 player! I never can tell where I am.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Tuesday Sweetness

I was walking home after seeing a movie, and I started thinking about the route I was taking, and how it was the first time I walked that route (down Barson, across the bridge, onto and up Pacific), and how it will likely be a route I take many times, with different people, maybe sometimes on my bike. And how I was returning home, to the place that I live, and how this is the start and who knows how long I will be here? Surely I won't be here forever, but for how long? A year? Several years? I've always segmented my life. My highschool segment, my community college/library working segment, my college segment, my living with parents segment, my looking for work segment, this is my working & proper living on my own segment. It's sort of amazing! But it does sometimes get in my headspace, but in a positive way. A sort of looking at myself from outside of myself way. Recognizing where I am, and where I've come from, and how much I've grown, and how much I have yet to grow, and how much I don't actually have to grow because damn I love candy.

It's a nice feeling, walking home as the sun goes down on a city that doesn't feel big. Being near the ocean, being near the trees. It's a nice place to be. I need to go down to the ocean, figure out THAT route.

Work, it was a shorter day, but since the commute is shorter, that works for me! Printed some sleeves, cleaned some screens, cleaned some squeegees, emptied some trash (Tuesday is trash day), listened to The Night Circus. That book seems to be reaching a climax. It's pretty good. On a definite magic kick right now. Speaking of which, I bought Shadow of Night! The sequel (or rather second in a trilogy) to A Discovery of Witches. That is what I did after work, I walked to Logos and got the book (took a bit of searching as they don't have an apparent new section, and the title was sorted with the regular fiction, though in a clear plastic book protector jacket thingy, which is nice). At Logos (the downtown bookstore, that I went to when I came down for the job interview) they had a free screening pass for The Intouchables, which was playing that night and in fifteen minutes at the Nickelodeon (there are two theaters within walking distance of my place: the Nickelodeon and the Del Mar, I heard there might be a third as well). So I scooped up that pass and went to see a movie! It was crowded, but filled with enthusiastic movie goers. We guffawed and clapped and laughed and were touched. It was an absolutely great movie. Hilarious, beautiful, touching but in a good way, not a lame way. Very sweet. I highly recommend it.

Pretty good day. Work, film, and now I have something lovely to read! Can't buy any more books till I finish a few though. For sure.

Monday, July 9, 2012

nooking it up


My house!


My living room! Though I haven't really spent much time in it.


My breakfast nook! I ate breakfast in it this morning.

I left my lunch at home (leftovers) so I had to drive back to get it. That took all of a few minutes. Yay! I was on the way to work, not at work. My commute is about 10 minutes. It feels like a sneeze compared to what I have been doing these past few weeks.

I arrived at a bit after 10, as I didn't know how early I should show up. 10 seems to be good? Had my tea and got to work! Cleaned screens, taped screens, broke down the press, cleaned more screens, switched squeegees, put shirts on the pallets for printing. Didn't go so fast because the shirts were big, and those are harder to line up. Printed another quicky job. Reclaimed ten screens. Pretty good day. Oh, also learned how to coat screens the commercial printing method, which is different and not my forte at all. Well, I only did a couple of them. It's tricky and messy....more so messy if you are just learning.

Went back home, took off my soggy shoes (reclaiming screens with the pressure washer gets my feet wet) and relaxed a bit. Then I went to Kmart (the nearest department store I could Google up) and got some peripherals, and curtains, and sheets, and other things. The sheet set ended up having pillow cases as well, so whoo! And it was on sale, so booyah, that is good to go. I may not have a proper bed, but it looks more like one. The curtains now make my window area one big blue area. Oh, also went shopping at Trader Joe's. Starting to remember what I fed myself on for years and years.

Had some rice and seaweed as a late dinner snack. Now I'm relaxing. I don't think I have any errands tomorrow. I think I'll take my bike out after work, go and buy a book, and then read that book! Sounds like a plan? Shit, I'm all like an adult! I work during the day, I get off work, I have free time to do whatever! This is awesome!

my room as of 7/8/2012



Sunday, July 8, 2012

Santa Cruzian

Saturday

Slept in. Needed a good sleep in. Still, I got up at around 10. Odd how that seems late, when just a few months ago that would be early. Funny how things like that change.

A lot changed this weekend.

Anyway. Had a big egg and meat sandwich for a late breakfast. Relaxed. Finished watching Thor. Relaxed some more. I helped make dinner. Cut up the strawberries and tomatoes for the salsa, and made the marinade for the salmon. We played some yahtzee while the salmon marinated. Phil came over with nice beers, and we ate grilled salmon with tasty salsa and drank beers and chatted. It was lovely! A great last night in San Francisco.

Sunday

Slept in, though I should have tried harder to get an earlier start on the day. Did laundry. Packed up my things. Put my things in my car. Cleaned the floors, cleaned the sheets, did a little drawing for the new Odd Owl single (just a little owl in a spaceship for the CD, nothing too fancy). Everything got packed up and before I knew it, it was time to hug the amazing, kind, awesome Carmen & Josh goodbye.

They really are wonderful amazing people. Their kindness, and generosity, and all their everything! They gave me the time and living space, and because of that I was able to find a job in my field, and to get settled, and all this wonderful things. I wouldn't be here if not for them. Words can't express my gratitude.

I drove to Redwood City, which seemed a really quick drive now. Packed up the rest of my things into Nathan's car (I left some peripherals there). He loaded up my bike. And off we went to Santa Cruz! He arrived just a little bit before me. We quickly unloaded everything and then puttered off to Bed Bath and Beyond to try and find a bedding solution (unfortunately the Target won't be open till July 29th or around there, boo!). Got a fan, a mattress pad, some pillows, and a towel. Hurray! I'll get some curtains tomorrow, because I don't have curtains. I have some cloth draped, but it doesn't quite cover it all.

I sorted my stuff out a bit more. Hung some clothes. Nate & I got burgers for dinner. Yum yum! Then I said goodbye to Nathan, and settled into my room some more. Janet came home, and Joey the doggie came up to say hi (and smell my room). The leftover burger will be lunch tomorrow. I think I'll come in at 10? Set my alarm for 8...though that seems early. Ah, well, 8 is good! I like not being rushed in the morning. I need to figure out how long my commute will be. Or rather how short it will be. Yay! Short commute! And I have evenings once again!

My life has entered another stage. Graduated High School? Check! Got accepted to college? Check! Graduated from college? Check! Moved in with parents, got supplemental education, motorhomed around a bit? Check! Moved out of parents? Check! Found job? Check! Found place to live and moved into it? Check!

What comes next?