Garage Sale

Yesterday and today have been spent at my sister's house for an end-of-the-summer garage sale. Her house is a PERFECT location, or so we thought. Yesterday was pretty slow, but we still made some money. We were hoping today would be better with it being Friday. Also, there were 3 other sales in the area, so that would have to draw a crowd, right? Wrong. Today was even slower than yesterday! Her and I both passed the boredum by reading. I read 200 pages in my book between the 2 days. I only have a couple chapters left! I have NEVER read a book that fast before. Then again, I have never had that much free time either. Anyways, we didn't sell a whole lot, so looks like there will be another sale before winter hits.

And now to the best, or in my case worst, part of the story. During clean-up, everyone--meaning my sister, my mom and i--was pretty annoyed cuz we were all hungry and sad due to the poor turnout. I just shrugged it off cuz I was too hungry to care. But my mom isn't quite that strong. My sister was too tired to not shrug it off, which she had every right after being up since 2am last night. Anyways, clean-up turned into a fight so we never went out to eat. The plan was to go to Buffalo Wild Wings after cleaning-up. But it didn't happen cuz my dad got annoyed quickly and left, forcing my mom to be even crabbier. And by then I wanted nothing to do with anyone. So my dinner became a bowl of cottage cheese and mandarin oranges. At least it was healthy.

Once again, I say that I can't wait until I'm out of this house. I am driving myself insane with most thanks to my mom and her crazy undiagnosed mental issues. I know it would be rushing it, but I really hope I can land a job and be out of here in October. *crossing my fingers* Or have a miracle that allows my parents to actually get along. But I have been waiting for that since age 6. I'm 21 now and it hasn't gotten any better, so I see no hope for that.

Carry on my Wayward Son...

Last night was the concert of the summer, with the exception of Emerson Drive. I guess I should say it was the FREE concert of the summer. Kansas was in town ending the riverside concert series. I had been looking forward to it all summer, but [as usual] I was hit with a hardball also known as my parents. I'm not going to get into it too much since you have all heard it before and because I was able to vent about it earlier today to my awesome lab partner. Long story short: My dad wanted to take a nap instead of going to a family friend's annual pig roast, so my mom got mad even though she didn't want to go in the first place. After lots of nagging and arguing, my dad decided to not go which pissed my mom off even more. I can't wait until I am out of here! If only I had a job... Anyways, my mom and I ended up just going. After meeting up with my sister and brother-in-law, she was her normal fake self that had to constantly complain. Why can she not hear herself? It's soooo annoying! But whatever; I'll hopefully be out of here soon. As for the concert, it wasn't as great as I expected. Whether that was due to my ruined attitude or the fact that they played more jam-out sessions instead of actually singing, I have no idea. It was prolly a combination. And of course the song I wanted to hear the most--which is also the title of this blog--was the second, and last, encore song. That's just how lucky I am.

But it was worth the wait, and the fact of getting home at almost 10pm when I had to be up about 530 this morning. Why so early you ask? I may still be unemployed, but I was lucky enough to babysit 2 little kids today from 645am til about 415pm today. The 2 are very entertaining. We made pancakes and bacon for a late breakfast, and then we headed to the park for hours of entertainment on the playground. After working up a sweat, it was time to head back home and set-up the sprinkler to cool off. It was a long day, but well worth hanging out with the kids.

Steele County and Shriners Weekend

Almost 2 weeks have passed since my unemployment began, and its been another great weekend. And the weekend isn't over yet! The week was pretty boring. I caught up on scrapbooking and did some job searches, but no luck so far. Friday was the day of the annual girls weekend to Medford. It all started quite some time ago as a back-to-school shopping trip to the Medford outlet mall. Now that school is over, we still go every year just because. I look forward to getting my moose munch from Harry & Davids. And being an outlet mall, there are usually some really good deals. After the shopping extravaganza, we migrated down the road to Russell Stover for some chocolate and ice cream. I now have some German black forest chocolate bars to hold me over until our trip next summer. My sister and I both got ice cream as well. After contemplating over flavors, I decided on firecracker ice cream, which is strawberry ice cream with pop rocks. It was very weird eating ice cream while my mouth was popping, but it was very yummy. We then headed to Owatonna for the Steele County Fair, another tradition that started a couple years ago. I love going to the petting zoo, which has everything from monkeys and lemurs to deer and llamas to kangaroos and ostriches. It's pretty exciting. This year there was also an Asian otter and a camel. We were going to wander the midway, but it was a giant mud puddle from all the rain. However, we were lucky enough to see the cannonball. In other words, a guy was shot out of a cannon and flew over the ferris wheel landing in a net on the other side. Because I still don't have my camera, I wasn't able to get a picture of him flying. My mom's camera is kinda slow, but oh well. It was still cool to see.My sister and I got to pet sting rays, and we all saw hermit crabs elsewhere at the fair. Do you remember hearing about the giant inflatable rubber duck from the Dakota County Fair? Well it returned to Steele county! So of course I got my picture taken next to it again. It was a fun fair, even if the grounds were muddy from all the rain in the middle of the week.

Today was complete opposite, weather wise. Since Wednesday, there has been a Shriners convention going on in town. Ending the convention was a parade today with 100+ floats/groups. There was shriners from all over the midwest, as well as from Canada. My favorite was the dragon who sneezes cool, foggy stuff. He hasn't sneezed on me in a parade for years, but my sister and I were lucky and got sneezed on today! my brother-in-law also got sneezed on while taking a picture of the dragon approaching. It was hilarious! There were also shriner bands and choirs; a couple choirs were even actually singing! It was amazing! They usualy just play music and lip sync. There were also TONS and TONS of clowns, one of which was dressed up like Popeye, complete with a can of spinache. The shriner motorcyclists put on a show, as well as go carts and 4-wheelers and several other motorized vehicles. It was a great parade, even if no candy was thrown. The only downfall was the heat. Even though it was only 75 degress, there were no clouds and very little wind causing it to feel like 90. If nothing else, I got my Las Vegas tan back, so it was all worth it.

Stay tuned for tomorrow: Kansas comes to town for a free concert! I can't wait! :D

Emerson Drive

My first week of "vacation" has ended on a good note, and its still the beginning of the weekend! I got together with my best friend since kindergarten, who is also leaving me for school on Sunday, so it's our last weekend together til fall break. So what did we do? We headed out to 331 to see Jason Brown and Emerson Drive. And it was awesome! Emerson Drive didn't come on until 9, but we still headed out early to get a parking spot and a decent spot on the hill. We started by sharing a giant plate of nachos and getting a couple drinks. After a long and hard decision, I got a cotton candy. So next time, I only have 2 to decide between: a rubber duck or a gummy worm. The cotton candy was yummy. We all know that I'm a rum girl. Now I have decided that my rum of choice is Malibu. After time, we braved the heat and humidity and headed back to the chairs outside. Jason Brown (the opener) was alright. I only knew 2 of his songs, and I was really going to see Emerson Drive. However, Jason thought that he was cooler, cuz he didn't end until after 9, resulting in Emerson Drive not starting until 9:35. They only played for about 70 minutes, which is pretty sad since the opener played longer than the headliner. I'm not going to complain a whole lot though because Emerson Drive played all 5 songs on my list! And then some of my other favorites that I didn't "request." These 5 include: I Wanna Be A Good Man, Fall Into Me, Take It From Me, I Should Be Sleeping, and Moments. They also did quite a few covers: Fishin' in the Dark and Boys of Summer. They ended the concert with an encore, of course. And what was this encore you ask? Devil Went Down to Georgia, yes a cover but also a classic. It was a great concert, and a great way to end a week of "vacation."

Kasson and Dakota

I have officially survived 36 hours of being unemployed, and I have accepted the fact that I have no job. Since I had 5 days of vacation left, I am looking at this week as being a vacation. As much as it sucks to be unemployed, it will be nice to be able to just lay low and relax. I will be able to catch up on things and sort out my life, not to mention relieve stress. I have time to do several things, including:

• relax and lounge with Taffy and Bacon
• scrapbook my Vegas trip and my random memories
• clean my room and prep for my sisters garage sale
• hang out with my friends before they head back to school
• SLEEP IN! (but we'll see if this one actually happens)

On a different note, my dad decided that my sister and I need to celebrate today instead of sulk in our sadness. We needed a distraction, so we all went out for breakfast this morning at Daniel's. They have the BEST Eggs Benedict in the world! (or at least in the greater Minnesota) It was amazing. After breakfast, we didn't feel like going home. Some how we ended up in Farmington at the Dakota County Fair, which was fine with me. The fair was awesome! There is the usual 4H exhibits and food stands, as well as free buildings and a historical village. Sadly, we didn't experience a fake band robbery this year, but we did witness a tractor parade. Not quite as exciting, but still historical. It was a lot of fun today, and it was just what the doctor ordered. Tomorrow I get to file for unemployment and begin a new chapter of my life.

Unemployed

Looks like my feelings stayed true as always. About 20 minutes after arriving to work this morning, I was called in to a meeting with the boss doc and head tech. I could tell it was going to be bad news when they called me in. Neither of them knew how to tell me either. The doc kept taking deep breaths, and I'm just sitting there thinking to myself, "Just tell me and get it over with." He finally came out and explained the situation to me. Apparently I have improved greatly and have a lot of potential, but a cut had to be made. Lucky me was it. So, I get to go file for unemployment tomorrow and begin my search for a new chapter in my life.

As if this didn't make for a bad Monday, I recently found out 2 other pieces of information. First off, a good friend of mine also got laid off, so we get to have an unemployment party together. For the second part, we will have to go a week back in time. A week ago, I found out that I was going to be an aunt next spring. I was ecstatic! However, and I'm sure you can guess what is coming next, my sister miscarried sometime over the weekend. I found out today. So looks like its a bad day all around. Today lived up to the true stereotype of Mondays. It has to get worse before it gets better, right? Well I think it just got worse, so better must be just around the corner. Let's hope anyways.

Celebrating my Heritage

Last week went by sooo slow! I didn't think the weekend would ever come. Half of our surgeries canceled, as well as several appointments. It was very slow, in case you didn't get that the first time. However, we did see some pretty exciting cases. As a refresher, the doctor I'm with this month is not only the boss of the clinic, but also the main exotic doctor. This past week we saw several birds, a bearded dragon, a guinea pig, and a rabbit. My favorite was the egg-bound cockatiel. Obviously the bird was in pain and it was a partial emergency, but it was so cool to assist with. The bird had 2 eggs, one of which opened inside the birth canal, so the second egg was stuck. The doc was able to clean the first egg out and manipulate the second egg to pass. It was awesome! The bearded dragon was sick and not eating, so we just had to give it some meds to stimulate his appetite. Apparently the owner takes him [the bearded dragon] with him to run errands. Can you imaging seeing a beardie while grocery shopping? Whatever works. The bunny rabbit was really cute too, and sooo soft. If they actually did something, I'd love to have one as a pet. But I think all they do is twitch their nose and sit there wondering where to hop to. The bunny needed her teeth filed down, so I made a bunny burrito while the doc filed the molars down. Otherwise, it was a week of vaccine appts and wing trims, nothing else really too exciting.

And then FINALLY the weekend came! I spent Saturday at Harriet Island with my lab partner at the Irish Fair, even though she isn't Irish. Once again, it was free! We were even lucky enough to find an open spot on the street a couple blocks away, so we didn't even have to pay for parking. There was a variety of entertainment: Irish bands, Irish dancers, and comedy shows. There were also several food stands of Irish food, which looked and smelt amazing! Silly me ate lunch before going there :P There was also a cultural center with photos and traditional clothing from Ireland. There was also a display of a famine ship, which my great-great-grandpa came over to the states on a lont time ago, just like in the movie "Far and Away." I didn't get to stay as long as I wanted because it was so hot and muggy and wet outside, but it was still really cool to see.

I can't wait until I live in the cities, and then I can go to free fairs and festivals all the time. Hopefully it will be sooner, rather than later. I'm sure you are all waiting for the job update. I haven't had my meeting yet, which I'm guessing is because we didn't have any surgeries last week, so I couldn't have had a full review. Tomorrow, we have 3 surgeries set-up. And I don't have a good feeling about it. Today I had to work my old Sunday shift of 4:30-6pm. Because we have a TTA coming in tomorrow, a fentanyl patch had to be applied tonight. I have only done it once before, but never on my own. The stupid dog decided to kick it off 3 times. By the last time, I had taped almost the entire leg! As long as it stays, I'll be fine. If not, I'll get chewed out by the doc tomorrow. Woo hoo! I can see him firing me on the spot, but hopefully it won't be that bad. Because I hate the place so much, part of me wants that to happen. The other part--which is the bigger part--wants him to be understanding and give me a second chance. We'll see what happens. I used to be so happy and loved going to work, but now I'm dreading every single day of work. I hate it! If this keeps up, I know my depression will return, and I really don't want that. So let's hope for the best, which would be moving to the cities in the very near future and working at the rehab center.

Another Month Gone

Another month has come to an end, finally! I didn't think the month would ever end with the dr. For the record, once I thought things were getting better, something would happen causing it to go back to the beginning. I feel like I can't win with her, no matter how hard I try. She always kills my confidence. So I am soo glad that my month with her is over. Although, because a new month starts tomorrow, I will now be with the owner again. In other words, he will be keeping a close eye on me. If things don't improve with him, I'm gone. So I really hope I hear from another place just in case that happens. It's always nice to have a back-up plan. I'm crossing my fingers that I hear from the rehab center and get an interview.



On a side note, my best friend since kindergarten turned 21 this weekend. We went out last night with a small group. We started at the Redwood Room for drinks and dessert. The birthday girl and I got martinis, and her boyfriend went after a mojito. We all shared desserts, which consisted of the chocolate beast--rich moist chocolate cake a la mode with drizzleds chocolate syrup and strawberries--and a white chocolate mousse with raspberry puree. This was my first martini, a passion martini. It was rum-based, of course. I like my malibu. We then headed to whistle binkies on the lake, where we met up with a couple other people. We each had another drink and some free popcorn while socializing. It was nice to see everyone again, even if a couple people tried to pressure the birthday girl into drinking more. I don't think I'll ever understand why people just want to get trashed and not remember their 21st birthday, but oh well. It just goes to show how people mature at different ages. We still had a great night, and she had a great birthday.

The next day (Sunday), I went to the Berne Swissfest with my parents. Since I went to Switzerland last spring, it was exciting to see an authentic Swiss festival, and it was free! There was a Swiss fashion show and yodeling concerts, a variety of Swiss foods, and a mini Swiss heritage museum. When I went to Switzerland, I was in Lucerne. There was a couple posters of monuments that I visited, so that was cool to see. And of course, it was exciting to eat the food. :)