Friday's Fun

1. taking the bus to the new apartment to get my key
2. move-in walk through (plus - new carpet and vinyl floors, minus - oven cleaning is pretty half-assed and will need to be done again)
3. taking the bus back to old apartment
4. moving two carloads of stuff (plants, clothes on hangers, things in baskets, etc) with Rose
5. coming back to the old apartment
6. submitting my first professional job application, complete with CV
7. emailing back and forth about my first editing stuff to do at home for adaptive technology
8. snuggling Callie
9. walking to the little grocery store for frozen enchiladas to cook in the microwave
10. cleaning and packing the microwave after eating
11. repacking some of the heavier boxes and tubs
12. wrapping tubs
13. packing the last odds and ends
14. drinking some Belgian ale

Eventually sleep will happen. And then the moving extravaganza tomorrow morning. And then the cleaning extravaganza at the old apartment. And then cleaning at the new apartment, and unpacking, and laundry. And then work bright and early on Monday morning. I'll try to post some pictures of the moving, new apartment, etc.

Oh, and apparently the packing saran wrap stuff hates me almost as much as regular saran wrap. Good to know for future packing ventures. It might stay stuck long enough to get there tomorrow, but for a long distance move.... hmmm, not such a good thing for me.

Freedom!

Okay, summer classes are done, finished, over. I emailed my last project to my instructor last night. I have the okay to have this week off work at my main job (I'm working twice as much next week to make up for it).

Now, let the packing begin, especially since I haven't done any of it, and Friday is only, hmm, a few days away.... eek.

Counting Down

A week from today, Callie and I will be spending the first night in the new apartment. We'll be surrounded by boxes, since the plan is to get the moving done in the morning, and then clean the old apartment in the afternoon. Sunday will then be unpacking and settling in day.

You can see that Callie is oh so excited by packing supplies. I have yet to actually pack anything at this point, but at least I now have tape and this cool saran wrap type stuff you wrap around things. It sticks to itself, supposedly, much better than actual saran wrap. I'm using it to wrap around the plastic totes that contain most of my stuff. Normally I wouldn't bother, but I ended up having to hire people to move my stuff for me. It's not as expensive as I thought it would be, but it's not as cheap as having friends with pickup trucks and horse trailers.

I appreciated the help then, but now that I'm in a situation where none of that help is available, I really, really appreciate it. I don't want to even count how many times all of you helped me move, especially during the every six months spurt after the divorce. I'm truly surprised none of you slapped me silly. What was I thinking?! And yet, every time, you Montana people were there with trucks and whatever it took, like Earl carrying the 8 foot oak desk on his head up to the second floor. So, rejoice! You're not close enough to get roped into yet another one of my moves. (Do I hear an AMEN!)

I'm trying to bribe someone into helping me move some things on Friday (the day I get my keys) - plants, clothes, bathroom stuff, food, lamps, ... stuff you wouldn't necessarily want to throw on a moving truck. I think my chances of being successful with the bribe are pretty good. We shall see.

So, this next week is also the last week of the second summer session. I'm trying to wrap up my final project. The presentation is due Tuesday, and the project itself is due by 5pm on Wednesday. As you can see from the photo, the laptop is being used for jewelry display, rather than actual work. These are the two chain maille pieces I've done this summer, as a bit of a break from studying/working.

These are the earrings, which are made in a European 4-1 pattern. I liked the way they turned out.

This is the ankle bracelet, done in a Japanese 6-2 pattern called Hana-Gusari. I've been using a book I checked out of the library to learn how to do this - Chain Mail Jewelry by Terry Taylor & Dylon Whyte. I like the way the diagrams use color to show the last few links added. It really helps to see the patterns and how links connect together into the whole.

This week will be a crazy one, so I'm probably not going to have much time for beading fun. Probably the next time I post will be after I've moved. Maybe you'll get pictures of the new place, in all its palatial spaciousness. It'll be even more spacious for the next few weeks until I can afford a bed. Woo hoo, empty rooms. I could have a big party, with dancing and twister!

Two weeks to go

until the move to the new apartment. In the meantime, I will be finishing the last worksheet and final project for my government information class, working 8 days in a row before having 1 day off followed by another 5 days working, creating my first curriculum vitae (an extended resume focused on academics), applying for my first librarian position, and cleaning and packing in my spare time (spare time... hahahaha... maybe in August, after moving and getting settled, if I'm lucky).

I will be fitting in a few fun things here and there, though (maybe with a sledge hammer to get them to fit into those tiny crevices of time) - the farmer's market, a going away party for a recent grad, and maybe making some more earrings.

I got my annual letter from Social Security today, giving me my eligibility for benefits. I noticed, in looking over my earnings record, that I have worked since 1974, with only 4 years in which I didn't make any income. One was my junior year in high school. Two were my first two years in college; I had a work-study job for at least one of those years, and I think back then it was counted as financial aid and not income. The other year was the one I spent studying in Britain and was unable to work because of visa laws. So, apparently, in the last 34 years I have worked 30 of them (some of those only part-time, though).

For some reason, I find that really depressing, especially considering almost all of those jobs were just that - jobs. That's a lot of time to spend doing something you'd rather not be doing. I'm hoping this degree will change that, especially since I'm looking at 20 or so years left to work. I really don't want to spend any more years regretting what I'm doing or not enjoying it, or putting in my time. Only two weeks of summer classes left, and then the homestretch into the last semester of school. I'm really hoping that this degree will let me do something I enjoy for the rest of my working life.

Either that, or figure out how to capitalize on all this cuteness...

Blooming (ton)

Thanks to Craig and Bonnie for playing, Identify the Flowering Tree. Between the two of them, they took care of all of my tree identification problems. It's good knowing a landscaper and a librarian.

These pictures are of flowers from around town, around the university, just around. Bloomington is a very flower-ful town.

Woodburn Hall's flower beds

Some of the many yuccas that burst into bloom all around town at the same time.

Lynn's daylillies, before they were fully open.

Lynn's daylillies when fully blooming. There are daylillies of many colors around town.

Flowering Trees

These are just some of the flowering trees I've seen around town. I only know one of these, so if any of you can identify the trees, jump in. Don't be shy. It can be the new quiz. Identify that tree, instead of help Trish pick an apartment. If you don't know, make up a name that you think fits.

Other than taking many pictures of trees, and of Callie, it's the same old thing. Work and class. I'm getting ready to move across town. I get my keys on the 8th. I have moving people lined up for the 9th. My carpet cleaning and checkout appointments for the old apartment are set up for the 14th. Now it's all a matter of sorting, packing, cleaning, and all the other little details of moving - address changes and switching my electricity from one place to the other, etc.

It's really a pain to move without a car, or without access to someone with a car. Most of the time I don't miss having a vehicle, and kind of prefer not to have one. This is not one of those times, though. As I don't have a major credit card, renting a car is turning into one giant pain in the behind, too. The added degree of difficulty will just give me more points, right? If anyone has any suggestions on this (other than get a credit card or a car), please pass those along, too.

Otherwise, life is good. My first paper for class is due this week - legislative history of a public law. I chose one from the 94th Congress (1975), so most of my information is not online. I'm spending time with lots of print volumes of things like the Congressional Record, etc. It's actually easier to use the print volumes than the resources online. I can understand the print resources. I'm old enough to have used print resources when doing research, back in the ancient days of wooden card catalogs and lots of lots of print indexes to everything. It's making me rather nostalgic.

Callie's flea issue seems much better. I'm still looking for one of the hip and groovy comb things that the vet had. I think I'm going to have to call and ask them what it's callled and where they got it. It's the only thing I've ever seen that will get through all her fur. She's a hairy little beastie. On the other hand, the apartment has never been cleaner. I'm down to vacuuming every three days now, though. I guess it'll make it easier to clean when I move.

This crazy tree is full of fluffy pink flowers, and reminds me of some sort of Dr. Seussian tree creation.

Close up of the fluffy pink flowers. They're really feathery looking. I have no idea what this tree is and have never seen one like it before.

But leave it to the librarian to know that it's a albizia julibrisson, or silk tree (Thanks, Bonnie)

This crazy tree is in an alley behind a building. When I go to the little grocery store closest to my apartment, that's the way I walk. The flowers do not look real. It bloomed earlier this spring, and is blooming again now.

The flowers remind me of a fuschia or something. They droop down. They seem very delicate and sculptural.

Craig identified this tree as a Robinia, "Purple Robe" locust.

This is the only one I can identify. It's a hibiscus. There are a ton of these around town, in shades from purple to pink to white.

This tree is across the street from my apartment. It bloomed late spring/early summer. I've seen more of these around town, too.

This is the closeup of the tree. The flowers are huge and cup shaped.
Craig and Bonnie agree that it's a Liriodendron tulipifera, or tulip tree, which is the state tree of Indiana.

Flowering

I thought I'd share some of the flora of Bloomington and surrounding areas with all of you who're living with fire season already. Hopefully Mt. Sentinel is no longer in flames, and it will be awhile before anything else goes up in smoke. I'll be posting a variety of flowering things in several posts. If anyone can identify any of the ones that aren't labeled, let me know. I'm seeing some crazy flowering things here that I've never seen before.

We'll start with the wild, or at least not cultivated, plants this time. Next time I'll post some flowering trees.

Purpley flowers growing wild in the curb near my apartment

Okay, not a flower - more fossils from Dishman Quarry

Not a flower, either - these are ferns growing near the trail at Dishman Quarry

Flowering lichen (?) near Dishman Quarry

Orange flowers (?) near Empire Quarry