Been a while...

I've been thinking about doing something different with this blog. I don't have much desire to update on random life-happenings because that gets so old and tiring to read, at least for me. So, I'm turning this blog into a somewhat portfolio to share my various projects. And I feel like with this new focus I should have a new look. I'm thinking something more simple, white background maybe. We'll see. Anyway, new look and new content coming soon, and as a result hopefully I'll feel more inclined to update this thing.

In the meantime, here's what's new:

Meet Hindley and Miss Heather. They're the sweethearts in my life. Hindley and I have been dating since May and that's going pretty great. Miss Heather was a birthday present from Hindley's parents. She's 8.5 weeks old and the most precious little booger, chewing on everything and having difficulty grasping the whole peeing outside concept.

I've got a job working full-time at Wayne's Environmental Services, a pest, lawn care, and termite company. I work in the pest and lawn section of the company, handling customers' accounts, dealing with customers over the phone, filing, and whatnot. Doesn't have anything to do with design, but it's a great job: reliable hours, great people, free weekends, and money! I still want to do design stuff, though. I'm hoping to be at this job for the next couple years, but also get a business license and do design on the side. All I've got to figure out is what to call my business... can't think of anything that I really like...

My best friend is engaged to an incredible man and I am so so happy for them. The date isn't set yet, but they're thinking this coming spring probably. Jake's sweet mom has cancer and has been in the hospital this week, so with all those happenings the wedding isn't top priority on the to-do list. But I'm going to Marietta in a week to visit and hopefully help Jess with some planning and dress shopping.

I totalled my car on Friday morning on the way to work. Just drove straight into the stationary F-150 in front of me, going about 35-40 on a wet road. Got some serious whiplash but no fractures or anything like that. The doctor gave me some muscle relaxants but they don't seem to have any effect on me for some reason. Saturday I hurt so bad that I could barely move, but today I do feel a lot better. Dad's flying into Atlanta this week and staying through the weekend, so he and I are going car shopping while we're both there... no idea of what I want, I guess I've got to figure that out unless I want to drive a rental car forever.

So, any ideas? What car should I get? What should I call my design business? I could use some suggestions.

It's interesting how much stuff you accumulate after a lifetime (at least for me) of living in one house.  Packing up the house in Marietta was quite a lot of work.  I was back and forth to Georgia for a couple weeks after Christmas to help mom with bagging, boxing, straightening, trashing, goodwill-ing, and everything else that's called for when you're getting ready to sell (including crying, laughing, complaining... we're really good whiners).  We spent one day going all through the "Erin Box" which contained most of everything in paper form from my childhood: report cards, artwork, a few random pictures, writing logs from elementary school (lots of juicy secrets were recorded), dance recital programs (some of which were from shows I wasn't even  in... don't know what mom was thinking there), and of course lockets of hair from my toddler days (which look blonde in comparison to my hair now).  We really got a lot done though, and if you go to the Kennesaw Goodwill on 41 you'll find half the store filled with random crap from the Sutton house.

In other news, I'm out of a job.  The big pants called Thursday before Christmas and declared the closing of the store... they wanted me to stay for 2 months after the other manager left for maternity leave and run the store by myself... but the idea of running a store by myself with the stresses and crowds that come with big close-out sales did not sound remotely appealing... so I told them that the other manager's last day would be mine, too.  That conversation was Friday before Christmas, and the store closed 2 weeks later.  So now I'm unemployed, working on my portfolio, and hopefully will get to taking around my resume this next week.  I would love an interior design related job, but I'm thinking that's going to be tough to nail with the economy the way it is right now... but I'm going to try so that I can say that I did.

I think a road trip is incredibly overdue.  Dad mentioned to me that he'd like to have Sadie out in AZ to go driving and exploring, since she has more clearance than the PT's... the thought of Dad and Mom taking Sadie off-roading through the desert is wonderfully funny... like Dukes of Hazard  in the wild west... but I don't think he's actually planning on doing anything that extreme.  Anyway, maybe this next month I'll have everything set for my cross-country trek, complete with an "Arizona or Bust" sign.  Who wants to go with?

Ok. I admit, I have been known to whine and pout. My family can attest to that. I think everyone enjoys a good pout every now and then, and I don't really think that I do it more often that anyone else. The past couple weeks I have pouted and whined a little about having to go on a business trip for work, and I don't think my pouting was uncalled for. I had to go to Jackson, Mississippi Monday morning through Saturday night, and work 14 hours straight each day at a JR League Christmas shopping show/fair/market/thing. This involved setting up the booth, standing at the register in one place for 12 hours, running to the parking lot and back to unpack merchandise for a demanding 50ft line of customers, and so on. It was gruesome, I knew it would be, and I wasn't entirely thrilled about the state my feet would be in by the end of the week. However, being the relentlessly optimistic person that I am, I knew there would be at least something to gain from my trip. Here's my list of positives from this past week:

1. I have now been to Mississippi and can check it off my list. It wasn't impressive at all, looks exactly like the rest of Alabama and Georgia, but I'm glad to have another state to color in my map of places been.

2. Gasoline in Mississippi is under $2. Don't believe me? I took a picture to prove it. And of course I filled up!

(look real close... can you see? $1.99!)

3. I didn't have to pay one penny the entire week for my meals or my endless supply of Dr Pepper. Thank you, boss.

4. I have a new appreciation for being alive. There was a moment this week where that fact almost was no more, but thankfully I am alive. Here's what happened: I was in a hotel room by myself the first two nights, and I noticed Tuesday night how inefficient the AC unit was. Since it was about 2am and I couldn't sleep due to the stuffiness in the room, I went to turn up the air. As I punched the button for HIGH COOL, all this happened at once: the entire machine lit up with a bright blue electric light, an ear splitting ZAP and POP came from the machine and the outlet, and red hot sparks shot out of the outlet. Can you say scary? I've never in my life been more frightened. I should have been electrocuted (my hand was on the machine) and the room should have caught fire (the upholstered chair and the window curtain were both right up against the outlet). But I survived, and needless to say, they gave me a new room.

(The state of my killer outlet)

5. I now know that I can keep an unnatural cool under threatening circumstances. Sign me up for the emergency row, Delta. You can count on me.

Katfrib complained about my blogstipation, so here's a boring update

Moving is expensive. and money is annoying.

Work is starting to hurt. My feet in particular. Darn jobs.

The apartment is slowly slowly slowly coming together. Once things are actually in place (this weekend, maybe?) I'll post some pictures of the inside.

My next adventure will be learning to play two new instruments: the cello and penny whistle. Watch out, music world.

I don't know what to do for July 4th. I'll probably wind up sleeping in and waisting away in front of the tv. whoopee. I would go off for the weekend.... but I have to work Saturday. bleh.

It's 10:30 and I'm already nodding off to sleep. What has happened to me? I feel so old.