Happy

Well, the first week of my job went well. Trying really hard to just learn all that I can, coming in as someone with little to no knowledge of the inner and outer working of insurance, but I feel that I am getting the general hang out what they throw my way.

All of my co-workers are very helpful and friendly, and I am really enjoying my team. We get an hour lunch and it is tradition to play cards, apparently, and I am super cool with that. My coworkers threw a pizza party for me my first day, and they all signed a card that was waiting at my desk- super nice people.

The benefits are out of this world- I have a 401k, pension plan, retirement bonus, christmas bonus, full health plan (nothing deducted from my salary, just a cafeteria plan on top of my salary), the standard vacation-sick-personal days, etc. I love having a real, big girl job!

The commute is a bit long, but so far I have listed to two very great stories, and I did come home midweek, so all and all it wasn't so bad. The worst part is coming home to a house that, in my opinion, was not at all what I want my in-laws to come home to on Thursday. I leave the house spotless on Sunday night, and it is a boy's version of clean by Wednesday. Scott really does try his best to keep things clean, but it is big job for one person to handle- I should know, it has been driving me nuts!

Rod and Gaye get back from England on Thursday, so Scott and I have begun our preparations to move out- it is going to take a few weeks still, but the renovation has begun! We went and picked out our paint colors on Saturday, and painted the wood paneling "whisper grey." I also painted some older pieces of furniture we found upstairs in this color- one side table and a dresser. I removed all the knobs from the drawers and am going to buy some wallpaper to cover them with and some knew knobs- they are doing to turn out super cute, I am so excited.

The other two walls of the room were coated with wallpaper- we didn't realize that this would mean five layers of wallpaper with various consistencies of glue and sticky matter inbetween....all put on sometime in the last 60 years. Fun. It has been a monsterous pain in the butt, but we have removed 80% of the stuff, so we feel pretty good.

Rod says he will help Scott remove the rest, and then we are going to have to get some kind of plaster paint to level out the wall, and then paint. After that it is laying the new carpet (naturally getting rid of the hideous pink shag) and then moving in. We are looking for a new mattress, and I am going to make a new headboard for us.

Pretty much I love this room- it is my big DIY project and I think it is so much fun, it is going to take about a month to finish, but everything is pretty much going to have our personal touch. I will, of course, take pictures- I can't wait. Going to do a bunch of sewing- making pillows, a throw and new curtains. Living with my grandparents three days out of the week makes that very nice- I can glean a lot from their sewing wisdom!

Speaking of which- I love my grandparents. They have been so kind to open up their homes to me, and I really feel welcome. It is fun getting to see them, and I think they like having me around. They have been very hospitable, making me dinners, making room for me, and just making this a really easy transition. It is hard commuting, but it is nice only having to do it twice a week.

Things are good- Scott and I are very happy- we will be happier when we have our own space again, particularly one so tailored to our tastes, and I can't wait to see the final product- it is going to be fantastic!

What can she possibly have to say?

I am at a loss for words. Life is just comfortable, nothing too crazy going on, and most of the time I think to myself, is there anything I could say that would really be interesting? That and my lack of photographs make for one very dull blog. I am not having babies, I am not off on some new adventure in a different state or country, and I am not the kind of person who has random unplanned adventures on a regular basis. I am practical, predictable and all around normal.

So, here are the few things I can tell you

-Starting my new job tomorrow, going to be commuting two times a week. I am going to be staying in SLC on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights, and coming home Wednesday and the weekend.

-My work is right next to IKEA, and with the way I love that store I am going to really rock out our new little space in Scott's grandfathers house. We are going to move into his home in a couple weeks, occupying two of the rooms in the vacated upstairs region of the house. It needs serious tlc, so we are starting our renovating next saturday. We are going to remove the wallpaper, paint the walls, windows, etc., get new carpet in the bedroom (replacing the seriously outdated pink shag carpet) and then I am going to be doing lots of interior decorating. I am going to make my own headboard, pillows and window coverings, and maybe make a few more crafty things to decorate with. Getting pretty darn excited about it too.

-Not much else to say, just planning on living out of my car half the week (well, sleeping at my grandparent's houses) and I have food, clothing and overnight stuff in my trunk, all organized in bins, very neatly. Also arming myself with books on cd for the drive, my first commuting pick: The Penderwicks on Gardham Street. My good friend Mandy loved these books, and I trust her literary judgement, so heres to enjoying my drives!

Glad the holidays are coming up, not much on my wishlist, so far I want a bento box lunch set, a CHI hair straightener and a new Northface jacket. I know, so exciting...maybe I need to throw in a must have toy for the season, or a gift card to IKEA.....that would rock.