So maybe I can be dramatic …

I always say I’m not as dramatic as some girls can be, but I have to admit, I can be dramatic.

I’m updating online profiles and cleaning up here and there and one of those things was tiding up categories on here, which I don’t even really use, when I came across this “case-in-point.”

“Ode to The Journal” Seriously?

Yes, I really wrote that. When I saw the title, it made me laugh. So that’s what I had to say when I was leaving as an intern, thinking I’d never be back in that newsroom again. Now, over 2 years later, I’m getting ready to leave again.

Over the weekend when I was working with all my old colleagues from that first summer, I appreciated our jokes, the sometimes crude humor and all the tid-bits we hear on the scanner. The other night we heard a call for a man who was unconscious from a fall due to dancing. Must have been some dance party!

One things for certain about this whole “transition” is that my sleep schedule is going to have some serious issues in the next 8-10 days. Having not clocked out until 11:30 p.m. or 2 a.m. like I did last week, my sleep schedule has been programmed to sleep from 2 a.m. till 10 a.m.

I organized my dresser and put summer clothes away and realized how badly I need a desk. That’s at the top of the “things to buy at Ikea” list. Right now all my paperwork for Shepherd (1,000 pages on insurance, life insurance, 401 K and the staff handbook and safety guide) are sitting on my shoe rack in safe keeping. I’m hoping to tackle that by Friday before I leave for Morgantown.

Tomorrow is another day off, and then my work week looks something like this: on two days, off two days, work three days and then start at Shepherd on Wednesday, November 18. Can’t wait.

Friday night

This evening I finally broke in my new Craigs List couch that I scored, along with several other items last week. The cushions have been fixed and are no longer ripped and the zippers have been replaced.

Tonight was one of the coldest nights we’ve had in a while. It was also what will probably be my last night shooting football for a while.

Despite it being 2 a.m., I’m sitting on the couch, covered in blankets and pillows, watching October Sky for the first time. I enjoy these quiet moments — possibly too much. I’ve grown accustomed to the solitude, but it doesn’t mean I want it to be a normal thing.

This morning I started to fill out paperwork for the new job. It’s hard to believe I may only have 5-7 days left at my current position.

 

Bit of news

 

So remember how I’ve been focusing so much on “change” lately? Well, I’ve got more changes to tell you about.

On Wednesday I gave my two weeks notice at The Journal, and on November 18, I will start a brand new position at Shepherd University, working in the office of external affairs as a writer and providing new content for the Web site regularly.

It’s hard to believe that in the past few months, even since my birthday, I’ve moved, started attending a new church and soon will start a new job. For some reason, I feel like maybe 23 will be my year. It’s certainly starting out quite well.

This switch from straight news to photography to a position in public relations will be different. Since I was 15, I’ve worked in a newsroom in some capacity. For the past 8 years, I’ve spent summers working with my dad at the weekly paper he works at, working for The Picket as a writer and then editor, interning at two daily papers and then working full time at The Journal for the past 17 months. Now that I think about it, 8 years is a substantial amount of time to be doing one area of work. I think this switch will be extremely positive for a number of reasons, but the main thing is that it will let me to continue doing my true passion, which is writing and storytelling.

In the past 17 months, I’ve learned a lot at The Journal. Best of all, I’ve met a lot of great people in the area and have built my own friends and networks. I’ll be leaving behind a lot of great co-workers that I’ve grown to appreciate over the past couple years there, first as an intern and then post-college.

This move will allow me to pursue many other opportunities and I’m excited about being back at Shepherd, in an environment that has always been positive for me.

 

A sigh of relief

This morning I went to the dermatologist for the first time, ever. When I finally went back to the exam room and sat on the table, I cracked my knuckles out of habit and she asked if I was nervous. I half-lied and said it was habit, but to be honest, I kinda was.

I’m not usually nervous about doctor’s appointments (except the gyno, which was yesterday. Fun!) but this time, in addition to having a pesky wart removed, which I had no idea what to expect, I also had a spot that I feared could be a form of melanoma.

When the doctor finally came in, he asked about a history of skin cancer. I hate those questions. I got a similar question yesterday. I’m adopted; I don’t know much about family medical history. I just say “Not that I’m aware of” and we move on.

So he inspected my face, neck and back. And let me tell you, it’s odd to have someone inspecting your clavicle that closely. Diagnosis: he doesn’t think it is malignant, but he still wants to keep an eye on it. It could be a cyst. What it looks like is an inflamed blackhead of sorts. Gross, but that’s the best way to describe it. I have never had anything like this, which is what made me concerned. When it didn’t go away after a few weeks, I remembered something I read on dooce.com about her run-ins with skin cancer.

As far as the wart? I’ve had it for a couple years and got rid of it once, but it still came back. The doctor said that it was going to hurt as he took the dry ice stuff and put it on a cotton swab he had wrapped around a Q-Tip. I didn’t believe him. Apparently he’s not much for humor because it hurt like the DICKENS. I said a few choice words once I was in the car, despite my best efforts to not say them anymore.

Honestly, I was a big baby about it. Fortunately it’s subsided a little bit. I’m ready for it to be gone.

I’ll be praying it’s not the worse, but I’m kinda expecting that sometime in the next few months they’ll want to remove it.

Bits of my weekend so far

This morning I got up fairly early and drove home to spend a day or so with the family. This only happens once a month or so these days, which is fine by me. It allows me to appreciate our time together more. I love driving on our road and as I rounded the bend to our house, I knew I wanted to take a walk. The weather this morning was perfect fall weather.

Last night was the first time since August that I had a Friday night off. I met a friend for dinner at Outback and then we headed to a house party. It was slightly awkward, but fun to see everyone and have the night off.

Today we did some bargain shopping in Cumberland. We found fabric to replace my couch cushions, which after talking to my aunt may not be necessary after all and ran some other errands. I hadn’t been to Cumberland in probably almost a year, but I was pleased that it hasn’t changed. We went to one of our old favorite Chinese restaurants (which is now my least favorite) and their was a sign in the strip mall for “Hot Stove Bingo.”  I got a big kick out of that and dad made up an elaborate story as to how it worked when I asked what it meant. (Rhetorically.)

This evening in between looking up rugs and slipcovers, I played with Gabe, who was on a sugar high from his trick or treating. We looked through a giant book of baby animals and the entire time he kept saying every animal was the “cutest _____ ever.” And “LOOOK AUNT JILL!!” I laughed. I got my camera. This book is seriously 3 feet tall and all the animals look life size in the photos.

Then I gave him my camera and he took photos as he turned the pages and would tell the animals to say cheese. I love watching him and seeing how his imagination works.

Tomorrow we’re having family dinner and then I’ll be visiting my mama before going to my new church. Life is really, really good right now. I can’t complain.

Furniture day and unexpected plans

I had the day off today due to some plans. Plans to go see a concert in DC. That didn’t go as planned, and so I made other plans.

This morning, I met my dad who was driving a big shiny silver pick-up truck with which to haul multiple pieces of furniture. We started downtown in Winchester and stopped at a place where initially, I was going about two arm chairs. Then the guy who was selling the chairs posted a couch last night and I emailed him about that. While we were there, he mentioned a table for $5 and I took that too (it needs to be sanded and painted or stained). Turns out he’s leaving soon to move to California to study art and photography. Needless to say, we had a lot to talk about.

The couch is in three pieces and the cushions need to be reupholstered (I want to do the entire thing)  but it’s super cool and adds lots of extra seating in the living room which may come in handy.

I would have posted pictures of my carrying all this furniture up the steps, but as I was setting down one of the pieces I lost my balance and overshot the piece I was setting down and caught myself by putting both palms against the downstairs window. Fun times.

We also picked up a coffee table that I also found online, from a woman who lives a couple miles from my mom and her husband. So now I have a place to put books and this mirror-turned-tray and play games and put food when company is over.

After having a hearty breakfast and catching up on all the family gossip, I ran to Leesburg, where I sold one of my tickets for tonight’s Guster concert. I think on the other, unused ticket I’m going to write “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” to remind myself of something dad always said in high school. It will also teach me something out of this whole mess that was the past 48 hours. Nothing is worth a fight like I had with my dad last night.

So while in Leesburg, I decided to do some much needed retail therapy and pick up a couple things for fall/winter.

Enter exhibit “B.”

When I tried these on I instantly knew that based on the price, the color and the bow, I had to have them. But they made me realize I needed a pedicure.

So after rearranging my living room furniture and talking to the best friend ever (girl seriously knows me without me saying anything and gives the best, sound advice — It’s amazing how we’ve changed, yet stayed the same over the past year.), I decided to rearrange my bookshelves and clean Lou, II’s fishbowl. In doing so, I was distracted from my phone call and as I was trying to transport Lou from temporary bowl to permanent home, he flopped out and landed in the bottom of the kitchen sink where everything else ends up.

So there I am, in my kitchen, trying to figure out if Casey was still on the other line saying “Oh no, Uh oh” repeatedly, all the while trying to move the bowl so I could get to Lou, who was flopping around. I thought he was going to go into shock, but so far he seems happy as a clam. It was a traumatic couple minutes though.

Such was my day off. Completely unexpected. Somewhat disappointed that Guster did not work out, but it was a good day nonetheless.

Too much to ask?

Is it too much to ask for someone to depend on and do things with?

 

I’m getting increasingly frustrated with this concept.

 

I’m posting my tickets to see Guster on Craig’s List and may possibly recoup part of what I spent back in July.

 

That is all. This week has been weak-sauce.