symphony

One of my new friends invited me to see Ben Folds with the Seattle Symphony tomorrow night. I am so excited! I love hannging out with her and would love to see this combination of artists!

Nathan and I went to a first time homebuyer class last week. The class kind of made us feel like we're really far away from purchasing a home but then on a whim I called mortgage company, just to give us a better idea of where we stand. I just wanted some questions answered but the extremely nice loan officer insisted I let her pull our credit so she could see how things look right now but also could give it to her credit specialist who could tell us what we could work on to make our rate even better. She is still needing to finish everything but so far my credit report was good enough to get a loan. Of course Nathan's will make it better since he's the one with the income. We have a significant amount of debt with my terrible graduate school student loan (thank God I don't have anything from undergrad or there would be no hope), my car loan, Nathan's car loan, the rest of Nathan's old car and his student loan which is much much smaller than mine. And some credit cards. We haven't been so good with saving up a down payment so we're exploring what we can do about that. It sounds like the first time homebuyer credit will be extended which would be awesome. Right now it can be used as a down payment which would be so helpful for us. Unfortunately we're too late to take advantage of it so I'm just praying it will be extended.

The loan officer wanted to get everything started and ready to go so that if it was extended we could jump right on it and have all our paperwork finished. We don't qualify for any down payment assistance programs because our income is too high but there is still a lot to explore...and we could just work like crazy to reach the 3.5% we need for an FHA loan. So we'll see. I'm pretty excited this is much more attainable than we thought. I just wish we had started sooner but we were just so unsure and didn't want to pull credit again. Now it's time to get serious!

I drug myself to the gym today and am hoping this step will push me back into it. I go through spurts of doing really well and then just quit completely. Today I worked hard on the treadmill, did some weights and jump roped. I love jumping rope, I really need to do it more, it's great for getting my heart going. I did jump rope in junior high and loved it. Our school had a huge award winning team. I was a Skip-A-Beat which was not as good as the Skip Elites but it was still so fun! I tried to bring back my can-can and double unders and whatnot...I need to work on them:)

Suction

We desperately need a new vaccuum. I bought a Hoover Windtunnel in college and it just never seemed to suck as good as it should. Last year it wasn't a big deal because even though I had Scrappy, I borrowed my roommate's vacuum when mine wasn't doing its job. NOW we are in our own place with a dark brown rug and pillows downstairs, a black bedskirt and furniture upstairs and a dog who never ever stops shedding.

The last thing I want to spend money on is a new vacuum but we have to. Our's just isn't doing the trick anymore. I've been advised that the Dyson Animal is the way to go. Ranging from $300-$500 it is nearly a quarter of my monthly salary. The problem is, we can't afford to go cheap here. Scrappy isn't going anywhere and if we buy a bad or inexpensive vacuum, we'll just spend the money to replace it again in a year or two. I've been trying to research what would be best but it's just so hard to tell.

I kind of want an iRobot Roomba, the little round disc that cleans the floors while we're away at work. While this would be nice, I know there is a good chance Scrappy would attack anything that was gliding itself across our living room when we weren't there and I've heard they really don't last that long. I don't mind vacuuming, our house isn't that big. I just want something that works...and doesn't cost a small fortune.

What has life come to when my blogs about shopping no longer involve clothes and shoes but vacuums? Welcome to adulthood?

solo

I rented The Soloist last night off of OnDemand. It is SUCH a good movie I loved every second of it. It just futher reinforced how much I love working with the homeless population and how badly I can't wait until I'm able to do it all the time. It also made me really really want to open a soup kitchen (with showers, laundry, computers, clothing, etc) in my home town. There seem to be enough of those types of services here and I just don't really feel a tie or a strong enough desire to bring something like that here...but at home it's like a whole different world of opportunity. Of course that would be when/if we move back to Montana...it's okay that it's a ways away because I'd need to be a point in our lives that we were stable in our home, had lots of loans paid off and I could take the risk of starting a "business". Obviously it'd be a nonprofit so it'd require some patience and perserverence...and the ability to probaly go without pay for a little while. But oh what a wonderful place it would be. I would call it bread. Lowercase. Don't steal my idea internets, it's going to happen some day! And then my brother can come once a month and do free dental check ups and my other brother can make really awesome, touching videos about it all to help us raise money. And my dad could build me a beautiful kitchen to serve my meals and a desk to work at...awww...my mom would love it too. We both have this thing about people going hungry. It just breaks our hearts, it should never ever happen. So she could serve up all her greatest recipes in our big kitchen.

Ahhhh...I miss having that inspiration and love for my job. I don't hate mine right now but it definitely doesn't give me that feeling that serving in the soup kitchen and loving homeless people does. THAT feeling is why I am in social work and I need to be reminded of it every now and again.

I'm eating like I'm single this weekend with Nathan gone. There's just no reason to cook a big meal so my staples are brie and crackers, grapes, olives, humuus, Naan bread, bagels...just quick and easy yummy stuff. My cousin and I always used to eat cheese and bread 3-5 days of the week when it was just the two of us. We both loved it and didn't mind at all but no boy would probably ever be too fulfilled with that meal. Don't get me wrong, I will be very happy when Nathan is back to make his amazing food- you know me, I love to eat! But one of my favorite things to eat is snacky stuff so this is nearly as fulfilling.

4 day weekend

My Labor Day weekend has officially begun! Nathan is gone for a boy's weekend at The Gorge and Scrappy and I are here, just hanging out. I had every intention of making big plans for myself this weekend and then waited until the last minute and realized everyone was off doing their own thing. Oh well. I'm going to see some friends tomorrow night, maybe meet up with another for lunch Saturday, go to a new church Sunday...but otherwise I'm just going to relax, go to the library, organize the garage, take Scrappy to the new dog park, go use my IKEA gift card, go shop the Labor Day sales...It all sounds really great to me!

I need a break anyway. My job is non-stop busy (which is a huge difference from when I was hired 4 months ago and was stuck doing absolutely nothing in my old position) which I LOVE but it just starts to get old. Lately I've been dreaming about work. This is my absolute least favorite thing in the world. It feels like I never left! I think this is a clear sign I need a few days away. There are just so many details involved in this program (a government program-which explains why there are so many useless details) and I am NOT a details girl. I just do, take care of the little stuff later, you know whatever works...There's not really room for that. I also don't believe there is one method for helping everyone and this program does, which is so stupid for the goals we try to meet...but again, all these government programs seem to often be backwards in the way they play out. So I just suck it up and follow the handbook, fifty billion pages long as it is.

My parents will be here next weekend! We'll first meet them for a couple days at the vineyards in Walla Walla and then they're coming back here for a Seahawks game and a couple days in the big city. I'm so excited, we keep talking about all the places we want to take them. There is definitely not enough time! Guess they'll have to come back!

women's center

I got a call today about a job I applied for about a month ago. Program Manager at YWCA drop-in center for homeless women in downtown Seattle. Years ago when I thought about social work and my future I envisioned myself in downtown Seattle helping the poorest of the poor. I dreamt of the city and the hundreds of people who lived under bridges, wore their closets on their backs, were hungry, were tired, were dirty...That's why I wanted to move to Seattle, long before my boyfriend being here was also a perk. It was always about the amazing social work opportunities that would lie within the city.

I've started out fairly removed from the downtown of Seattle. I'm in one of the wealthiest suburbs instead but don't think there aren't hungry and homeless and less fortunate here as well. I see it all. I am happy for the job I have, I love what I'm learning and I love helping the people who are so grateful for the simple things I assist them in doing for themselves.

But I've always loved working with the truly homeless, especially women and children. Anytime I see a position that would allow me to do this I apply for it. I hadn't heard anything about this one so I just assumed it'd been filled, until they called today. She made it very clear that things at this day center are not quiet by any means, there are an average of 200 women coming in and out each day so there are fights, and dirt and anger and urine, and smells all filling the building. The position involves less direct contact and more supervision of employees and the center itself. It's different from anything I've ever done but it represents a career shift which has been an eventual goal as part of my Master in Social Work.

I have no idea if I even have a chance at this position but I'm extremely excited to be considered and interviewed even if it's just to be in this day center that stands for so much I believe in. I applied at another day center, also run by the YWCA, closer to my old job. It hasn't been filled yet so I will also ask about it. Only 40 women use that one daily so it'd be on a much smaller scale, which could be good for me too.

Who knows what will come of it, if anything. I'm just excited it's out there.

25

Somewhere last week I turned 25. I'm not even really sure about saying it...Twenty-five. I feel so much younger than 25. I don't know what 25 means. What am I supposed to be doing with my life right now!? It's a bit unnerving knowing I'm a quarter of a century old. I never noticed the number until now.

Thankfully life is good and my birthday was great. Nathan got me a GPS which was the most needed present I have ever gotten. I am now able to navigate Seattle with my trusty English guide who happily tells me to "turn left" "keep right" and merrily re-calculates when I don't follow her directions. Not only does this GPS save my life but it saves our relationship! No more arguing over who will navigate, who gave the wrong directions, who wouldn't ask for directions...we just leave it up to my little Garmin and traveling is easy!

I am desperately seeking some friendships right now. Now that I've been here a couple months and gotten settled in, I'm ready for some lasting girl friends. They don't come easily though. It'll take some time but I know there are some nice, fun, caring girls out there who are willing to put in as much into the friendship as I am. At least I think so. Maybe finding a church would help us.
It gets a little lonely without that aspect. I absolutely love having Nathan and he is by far my best friend...but he's not a girl...and he needs some time away from me! He hasn't said this but I believe it. I know all good relationships need separate friendships.

no more boredom

I am so happy my new job has finally started to pick up. I was getting extremely nervous about my lack of clients and the boredom that would ensue every day. My boss offered me the position of a girl who is leaving so not only do I have a more regular position that does not end after 1 year but I am doing something that requires A LOT of time and leaves little time for sitting and staring at the wall as I had been doing for about a month.

I am now the case manager for Community Jobs which is like a welfare to work program. I place parents into job sites for 20 hours a week while they spend 10 hours a week working on their GED or some type of education and 10 hours a week overcoming barriers and applying for permanent jobs. Most of my clients have very little work experience, a criminal background, lack of education, etc....so I help them to work on those barriers by placing them so they get some experience, going to the interviews with them, helping them to problem solve in their work place, teaching them good habits and helping to provide support services like gas, daycare, rental assistance, car repairs etc., all in the name of getting them job ready in 6-9 months so they can go on to get a full time good paying job. We are a subcontractor for DSHS so I will learn all about DSHS but not have to work there. Perfect!

I've been warned the learning curve is steep and that this is hardcore social work because it isn't easy...but so far I am super excited about it and think it'll be a great program to take ahold of and flourish with!

Beyond that we are almost completely unpacked in our new house and are just settling into our new routine. I love it here but I hatehatehate traffic and commuting. Luckily we are about 7 miles from our jobs but it still takes 30-40 minutes to get there. I guess I was spoiled for 22 years in Montana where if I wanted to get 7 miles, it only took 7 minutes!! I will never be happy with traffic or used to planning my life around it so it will definitely take a lot for me to ever consider actually working in Seattle. We are in Bellevue/Renton where the traffic is still bad but not nearly as horrible as Seattle. I will gladly stay put for a while.

We love our new place and are so sick of moving so we want to stay for a while...but we are still so eager to buy a place so I don't know how long a while will be. At least a year but maybe longer. It just makes sense for us to keep renting until we are for sure this is where we want to stay for a while. I would love to buy a house in Kirkland or Redmond but who knows what will happen next year or the following. We talk a lot about trying new places and someday Montana will calling our names louder and louder. But we'll see. I like it here and could definitely stay for 5 years or more.

We are going to Westport for the weekend with a couple other couples. I'm excited for the R&R and being at the beach. I don't know how the weather will be but it should be fun. It's Pirate Days so there will be lots going on. I'm excited to be near the ocean and just have a good time. I'm anxious to have friends and a broadened social circle so this is a great opportunity. Nathan has a ton of friends so it's just been a matter of joining the groups...I would like to have some new friends too, ones that were never his but I really like his friends too so I'll take them!