Category Archives: furniture

What A Day

Today the kids and I had a little adventure. We went to another furniture store (I am beginning to think it would be easier if I just moved to the furniture store at this point), and I bought this:
This is the picture from their official website that looks a lot better than the one above that I took:
The kids were for the most part well behaved and spent the time we were in the store sitting on some chairs while I looked around and made the purchase.
Once we were walking around they wanted candy. This is kind of the tradition we have when we go shopping. Most places have those candy machines around, and a few quarters later the kids are happy and we can continue on. Ally really wanted gum, and I was telling her she can’t have any and to pick something else. She was not cooperating, I finally got her to get another type of candy, and the machine was stuck. I put my wallet down, fidgeted with the machine for a bit, the kids were getting antsy, and as soon as I got candy to come out I just picked up my purse and we walked away. Half an hour later, at the other end of the mall, as I was getting ready to make another purchase I realized I didn’t have my wallet. I immediately realized where I had left it, and we went to the other side again in the event it was still there. It was not. Then we wondered around looking for Guest Services just in case someone turned it in.
I didn’t know where Guest Services were, but I was panicked and practically running from one end of the mall to the other. As you can imagine the kids were tired and not keeping up. I looked behind me at one point and noticed neither of them were there. I forgot about my wallet and started running around calling their names. I seriously looked like an insane person.
I found the kids playing in one of the planters, coaxed them into following me a little more briskly, but not a the original pace I was going, and we ended up finding Guest Services. I have to admit, I wasn’t hopeful. But when I asked the lady, she had my wallet. Someone had returned it, with everything intact. I had my kids, and my wallet.
Ally asked if they could ride the train. I had originally told her no several times, trying to explain that without a wallet we could not do anything. She kept asking and I snapped at her. Now I felt bad, so I took the kids to the train stop and bought them tickets to ride it.
As I was sitting on a bench waiting for them to return, a man came up to me and asked if the kids were mine. I said they were, and he told me I look too young to have kids. This actually happens often, so I just shrug it off, and the conversation usually ends there (“teen pregnancies are hard,” said with a stern face… and yes, I am sure they are, but I wouldn’t know). Not this time. He continued letting me know that I look “too hot. You must have had them when you were ten.” I was still frazzled so instead of giving him an awkward look I practically shouted “do you freaking realize that that would make me about fourteen??” And then walked away.
Once the train arrived I got the kids out and we left the mall. I needed to stop by the store to get bread, but they were too tired. So tonight I will be making home made bread from scratch instead.

Furniture Followed by Randomness

Last Saturday I went furniture shopping. I didn’t post about it because it was the most uneventful thing ever. I vaguely alluded to “errands,” and that sort of encompassed all of my activities outside of social outings. It is really hard to go furniture shopping when your apartment isn’t ready yet. Even though I took picture for reference, I realized they don’t actually help. It gave me an idea, but I didn’t think to measure, so the pictures were in reality not very useful.

Also you have to realize I have only seen this apartment twice, and both times for roughly twenty minutes. So it’s not like I have some sort of coherent mental image I can’t work off of.

Secondly, what do I do with the furniture? I *could* have it delivered here, or to my mom’s house, and store it until moving day, at which point I will have to hire movers to take it to the new place, or I can wait and get it once I am moving in. Not only does this add multiple steps to the moving process, it also makes it more expensive. As of right now I don’t need movers since I am taking almost no furniture. Unless you count the numerous shoe boxes, in which case I will need an entire army.

I have made arrangements tomorrow to go back for measurements. While I am down there I will also take some time walking around and really seeing what is in the vicinity. I mean, I know the area *a bit,* but that applies more to the general area as opposed to the specifics of where I will be living. Knowing me I will get lost down my own street.

At least everything I plan on doing tomorrow is within walking distance. I tend to get less lost that way. Driving always messes me up.

At least I will be close to UCLA on the off chance they actually accept me to their grad program. In fact, I should put that in my letter of intent. While my grades and test scores are very good, and their medieval program is extensively well developed, especially in my particular area of interest, they should admit me by virtue of my proximity. No?

I think this will be a perfect exercise in rhetoric, specifically persuasion, and I will practice my skills by convincing the admissions committee that since I recently moved, and it so happens to be not terribly far from them, they should highly consider my admittance based on the probability of fate. Had I not been destined to attend their institution, I would not have found my apartment.

I didn’t major in Rhet Comp.

Can you tell?

I know, I know, worst argument ever, and you don’t need to tell me I best keep it to myself. In fact, with my luck I will probably be accepted to UCSB which was far closer to my house than my apartment. That is how fate screws with you.

Also, two people mistook what I said to mean that I will live within walking distance of UCLA. No. Even with my crazy ideas of what “walking distance” means, I will still not be able to comfortably walk to UCLA. Can it be done? Sure. Will I, or anyone else do it? No.

Unless, of course, I decide to take in a roommate who also happens to be a Nigerian marathon runner.

And how sad would that be? Not only will I (probably) not be accepted to UCLA since they will find my persuasive argument tacky and perhaps questionable, but then there would a Nigerian marathon runner in my apartment who I could never keep up with, practically running laps around the campus just to taunt me. This is why I can never have roommates.

Well, *that,* and like eighty thousand other reasons.

But mainly because I say things like that. I mean, if you just met someone and they started talking to you about Nigerian marathon runners at UCLA, would *you* want to live with them? Exactly.

Also, I am not a big fan of strangers in my house (for prolonged periods of time). And that is what roommates are. Strangers that you kind of, sort of know, but not really, and they are there… all the time.

Anyway, I meant to blog about furniture. I had all sorts of fun things to tell you, and somehow this went from whimsical decorating piece to…. whatever it is now.

In conclusion (not that there was ever a beginning or middle), I will one day have furniture. I strongly believe this.

 

Excited

There are a lot of things to be excited about this week. I am rereading a great book, and since I will be teaching it, I am really reading it, getting into it, analyzing like never before, researching each and every reference, cross referencing everything, and drawing all sots of conclusions.

Then, later this week I will be having Ducky’s birthday party. It will be a small affair, but fun nonetheless. In fact, the only guests outside of family are Tanya and her husband. Like I said, small. Ducky is too young to care, and this way we get to celebrate his life, and I get to make special cupcakes. Everyone wins.

My friend just got back from Wyoming and I get to see her this Saturday night. I found a very charming place for us to go, and I now have a reason to get all dressed up. Everyone wins.

I am meeting with several people this week to finalize my syllabuses and go over all the small things. I am going to build the perfect course for my students! I am excited.

I am also going apartment hunting again this Friday. My goal is to have something by the end of summer. And no, I am not being indecisive. At least that is one thing I have never been. I know what I want.

Today I went furniture shopping. I know, I know, it is like putting the cart before the horse. But I know nothing of carts or horses, so really what did y’all expect? I found a little brown/black leather couch set that I like. Nothing too big, so it fits anywhere, but very comfortable, and matching everything I will probably get from my current house (don’t even get me started on this, which is basically a blog post onto itself). I am also going to need half a dozen book shelves, and maybe a bed. Most likely a bed. And some lamps. I should make a list.

Actually, what I should probably do is go to sleep. I haven’t slept in days. I am not feeling tired, but I know it will catch up with me. Probably tomorrow when I am trying to get stuff done.

I promise my next post will be more coherent. Maybe focusing on only one topic.