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I recently checked out Brothel: Mustang Ranch and Its Women from the library and really enjoyed it. It was just the right combination of facts and anecdotes and it didn't stray far from its topic. Very interesting.

I forgot to post this when I found it: my boss received this crazy letter at some point (something I printed was on the back of it). People are so weird!

Also:

• The US won't let people come here if they have HIV. Other countries that do this include Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Russia, and seven others. God I hope that bill passes to rescind that. It's easier to get in if you have ebola! How ridiculous!
• Who would ever want this? And more to the point, who would pay $300 for it?
• One of the House members who's using Twitter is John Culberson. He posts way too often and occasionally says hilarious things, like when he gleefully posted this and then immediately after posted this. I'm still glad he's using Twitter, though, and I think more representatives in Congress should.
• Do you know how easy it is for someone to break into your house?
• I thought this was an interesting article on McCain and his political stances.
• Did you see they're reinstating Basic LJ accounts? I guess they finally gave in to the uncharitable, crazy, sockpuppety blackmailers trying to intimidate them and shut down their business. Thumbs up!
• This video positively breaks my heart. And did you know that Unilever got all of this great press for their "real women" campaign with Dove, but they're also one of the major conglomerates selling skin-lightening products in India? Eff you, Unilever.
• And finally, George Bush thinks everything is awesome.

Okay, so! The drive here went well. I left at 3.15 in the morning, which kind of sucked, but it meant I got to stop in Pennsylvania and see the lovely Vicki and Emily for lunch. Also, you guys, have I told you that they're moving to Indy when I am and I am so pumped about this? Anyway, I got into Connecticut a little later than I meant to, but still in time to help Casey finish getting ready for people to arrive for a night of video games and general hanging out.

On Saturday we spent the whole day just lazing around the apartment watching television and playing video games and enjoying each other's company. It was nice.

Onnn Sunday we... did some more lazy stuff, probably, and maybe went grocery shopping, I think, and then went to see ( The Dark Knight (spoilery stuff under here) ) with his usual Tuesday night dinner group and joined them for drinks and food afterward. Walking around White Plains at night was kind of creepy and I'm not sure why!

On Monday, Casey had to go to work (boo), and I spent most of the day lying around reading and playing Wii Fit, which I'm really enjoying. Some of it is so hard (has anyone actually completed the tightrope thing? Because I don't think I'll ever be able to), but most of it is just right, or just right to push me to try to get better (like some of the yoga poses. The Triangle hurrrrrts), and I love tracking data. Yay! When Casey got back, we... watched Bender's Big Score, which I hadn't seen, and probably some more television (I'm caught up on Venture Bros now and we've been watching That Mitchell and Webb Look). I dunno--we just spend a lot of time relaxing and it makes me really happy.

Yesterday was Tuesday and I spent another day not really doing anything (yes, it's vacation, but I have a lot I want to do before I move down to Indy), but I did start to get a better idea of my schedule for the first week of work, and then Casey and I went out for dinner and I had some of the most delicious pasta I've ever had and then we went to see Wall-E which was so funny and so sweet and such a great, great movie. Wow. I think Pixar is pretty incredible, and I'm really glad they're around.

Tonight we're ordering pizza and tomorrow we're having tacos and probably going to see Hellboy 2 and then on Friday we're going to Aaron's and on Saturday we're going to New Jersey and on Sunday we're going to New York City and on Monday I'm going home, boo. But then I have Tuesday through Friday to get stuff done in Fort Wayne and then on Saturday I move to Indy and the Monday after that I start work! And then school starts a few weeks later! Yeahhhhh. :D

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Casey and I played some Warcraft tonight. We're within 15000 rep of getting our talbuks, we hit 66 today, and I got this. Pretty cool.

You know what's not pretty cool? Connecticut in the summer. Blech. I just want to move somewhere where it never gets above eighty degrees, but most places like that cost about a zillion dollars in monthly rent.

Will write about The Dark Knight and things I've had on my list for a while later (when Casey's at work). For now, it's boyfriend time!

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I did a bunch of errands today! Patrick and I went out for sushi (oh so delicious, and the ginger dressing on the salad was actually made with ginger and didn't just come out of a bottle from the grocery store), I got my engagement ring insured (yes, I know I should have done that when I first got it), I picked up my wedding band after having it resized and engraved (it now has two sets of initials and dates on the inside: my great-grandparents' and mine and Casey's. They were married in 1927!), I got my last check from work and deposited it (the new guy is having a really hard time--he stayed an extra seven hours on Monday and Tuesday both and John says he's sending out a lot of wrong and extra stuff), and I got a hair cut. I went to a girl Maggie recommended and she gave me a lot of advice and styled it for me and it smells nice and is SO CURLY! I think it's too short to get into a ponytail now, though, so I hope I can keep making it look this good.

Oh, crappybad news for today: Dad fixed my air conditioning last night (the switch is all... delicate and uncooperative), but it broke again today, ughghgh. The drive tomorrow is going to suck. At least, the second half will; I'm leaving at three in the morning, so it shouldn't be too hot then! I'm also jazzed about seeing Vicki and Emily again after so long. I still can't believe they're moving to Indy! :D

I need to clean up my room (my parents' friend Benny is coming to visit while I'm gone; he was last here ten years ago before he left for Australia and all I remember is that we went to a Wizards game with him. He's staying in my room, though, and it is seriously a disaster right now.) and pack and then go to bed so I can get at least some sleep before my ridiculous o'clock departure time tomorrow. At least that plan is less crazy than when I drove there straight after work.

(apologies for this post basically being my Twitter posts for the day with elaboration. I am really not interesting most days.)

If there's any chance I don't have your current contact information (phone number, email address, physical address) and you want me to, please leave a comment here. Unless you're Casey, don't assume I know this stuff. I'll screen the comments to protect you from the big bad Internet.

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I did a bunch of errands today and on those errands Mom and I found wedding invitations I like. They're not my favorite, but they're waaaaaay less expensive than everything else I've liked and I have them. I think Mom is really concerned about them being printed on ivory cardstock ("but the tablecloths [at the reception] are white!") and while it might make finding lined envelopes harder (the invitations come with unlined envelopes which are apparently not fancy enough), I am pretty okay with them.

I'm leaving for Connecticut in about twenty-six hours! Holy cow. Oh, confessions of a girl: I am bummed that I've gained back three or four pounds and that I'm starting to put on some period weight because I want to look good when I'm with Casey, especially since it's been so long since I've seen him and it'll be so long until I can see him again. Body! Listen to me: knock it off.

Anyway, there is so much I want to get done tomorrow, including picking up my last paycheck, yay! It's been so nice to not have to go to work. So far it's just felt like the weekend every day (I honestly keep expecting to hear A Prairie Home Companion on the radio). It's weird: I thought I'd feel some sort of elation, but I mostly just feel like... something was out of place and is right again. I can be myself. I'm so glad to be out of such a crappy situation.

Okay, seriously, I've got to go to bed. I am so pumped about Connecticut!

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PS Have you seen this?

Correction to my previous post: I think those first few statistics actually came from The Overspent American? It seems more likely, but that'd make the data awfully old.

Anyway, this weekend was Judgment Day and it went really well! Casey's flight was canceled but then he actually got on an earlier flight, so I was pretty pleased. We spent some time with the DeWitts, but the main event was on Sunday when we had the party at Amy's. I was a little worried because it seemed like it'd morphed from a family luncheon into a fancy affair, but it was just really nice and I got to see my Great Aunts Judy and Joanie (my mom's mom's sisters) whom I haven't seen in yeaaaars. I don't think it was too stressful and everyone liked Casey (Judy says he has "such depth and such a wide set of interests" and Grandy said... I don't remember, something nice about him). The visit was way too short, but I'm going to see him again on Friday, yay!

Also happening on Friday: I'm finally going to make it to lunch with Vicki and Emily in Pennsylvania. I am super-pumped about this, as we've tried to arrange it twice now but were thwarted by mismatched schedules and automotive disasters (it's hard to stop for lunch when you're not allowed to turn off your car). The best news, though, is that Emily's quitting lame old grad school and the two of them are moving to Indy and they're moving there on the first of August. Man, with the two of them there, my cousin Megan stopping in occasionally, Davin not too far away, and Michaela in law school there, it sounds like I might have a social life after all. And Lafayette's not too far away, either! Sweet.

Speaking of cousins, the other great part of Sunday is that my cousin Lori agreed to do the photography for the wedding. She tried to not let us pay her, but we eventually worked out a deal where Casey will help her set up a website and pay for hosting in exchange for the photos. I am really pleased with this.

Today was all kinds of stupid, though. I had to drive to Indy to sign some papers and then just drove back. They told me I had to do the paper-signing in person, but there was no photo ID required or fingerprints taken or anything (it was just a consent to a background check), so I don't understand why they couldn't have faxed it or even mailed it if the original copy was necessary. I'm pretty mad about this; it cost me four and a half hours and about sixty dollars in gas, since I had to take the van. Rage.

With Dad's help I finally moved things along with the Mazda: they've done the oil change and checked fluids and filters, patched one tire and decided they need to replace the other and ordered that, and Dad went to put something in the air conditioning system so they can check that out tomorrow. At least, they'd better check it out tomorrow--I want my friggin' car back. It looks like I won't have to replace wheels, which is sort of awesome and sort of not, since I can't afford that right now, but it'd be nice to not be stuck with those high-performance tires any more.

Anyway! I haven't been as productive as I've wanted the last two days, but I'm sort of enjoying not being at work and not being responsible, and I did go to the Y today. I need to get serious about my to-do list, though. I only have six days left in Fort Wayne, since I'll be spending so much time in Connecticut.

I just found a Stickies note with facts I'd found during my reading binge this winter that I wanted to share with you. These may be copied word for word from whichever books contained them, so uh, sorry if I'm plagiarizing? I think the first few, at least, come from Not Buying It, but I'm not sure. I think the last one actually came from an ad, which makes me wonder if it's even true.

• The typical American now consumes three hamburgers and four orders of French fries every week.
• In 1970 Americans as a whole spent approximately $6bn on fast food. In 2000 we spent more than $110bn. We spend more money on fast food than we don on personal computers, computer software, new cars, and higher education combined. We also spend more on fast food than on all magazines, books, movies, newspapers, videos, adn recorded music combined.
• America makes up 4.5% of the world's population, but we consume 24% of the world's resources and emit 23% of the greenhouse gases.
• One hundred sixty-eight countries were studied: 163 guarantee paid leave for mothers in connection with childbirth and 45 offer it to fathers, too. Paid sick leave is guaranteed by 139 countries. Thirty-seven guarantee paid time off for parents caring for sick children. Ninety-six guarantee paid annual vacations. Eighty-four legally limit the workweek. America does none of these. Almost a third of female American workers get no paid vacation at all.
• The Entertainment Software Association says that 38% of gamers are female and women 18 or older account for more of the gaming population than boys age 17 and younger.

That's all. I've been talking with my dad a lot about how the gas situation now compares with the gas crisis in the '70s (hint: they're pretty different) and about the savings and loan crisis in the '80s and what that was like. He remarked that people my age haven't ever really been through a recession. It actually seems very scary to me when I think about it too much--banks collapsing?--but I am so incredibly ignorant about economics and how stuff works that I really don't know how worried to be. And worrying doesn't do anything, so ugh. I did read this thing on Salon this spring comparing some apparently important numbers from now to those from the Depression. What I took away from it is that we're nowhere near a crisis on that scale, which is reassuring, I guess.

Did you know that members of Congress use Twitter? At least, some of them do, and it's causing a controversy. The dude who started this (apparently) is--does this surprise you?--a Republican, John Culberson. Tim Ryan and Tom Udall do it, too.

I think this is good and I think it should continue. I think it also indicates that maybe Congress isn't as hopelessly tech-illiterate as I worry it is sometimes.

Guys, check this out (it's cool but not like, super-awesome) and take note of the list after the video. Will Arnett? Jack Black? Parodies of 30 Rock? I think I need to start watching Sesame Street again.

So I finally caved in and signed up for Twitter. I'm not really sure how often I'll use it: I have a habit of oversharing (as I'm sure you've noticed), but I can't imagine that anyone would be that interested in my life. I'm also not entirely sure I get the point of Twitter, but we'll see.

Ughgh the guys from the car place called and the key I gave them (a copy of the key I usually use) won't work in the ignition. My car does not have any of those fancy chips or whatever, so I'm not sure what the deal is, but I can't get them my actual key until I leave work, which means I've lost an entire day of them having the chance to look at it and aughghgh now I'm worried that I'm going to have to drive to Connecticut in the middle of July without air conditioning and with tires and wheels that hate me. I know the air conditioning part sounds like a spoiled kid complaint, but I spent the whole summer at Clemson with no air conditioning and it totally sucked so bad and part of what I was looking for in a car when I bought this one a year ago was functional air conditioning and aughghghhh.

Must not worry or obsess about this. There's nothing I can do until the end of the day and there's nothing I can do about the timeframe. Buh-lerg.

My car is in the shop so Dad and I carpooled today. I was still finishing my breakfast when we left, so he drove to his workplace and then I got in the driver's seat to drive to mine and holy cow. I thought I knew how to drive stick, but apparently I only know how to drive my car. I made it, but I did a terrible job of it and I'm really glad that we work about three or four miles apart. Jeez.

I'm also really impressed with how easy it is to switch gears in his car. I wonder what the idiot who owned my car before me did to make that shifting so difficult. Ugh. Also, Dad's seats have electronic position adjustors and there are volume controls on the steering wheel and the key is one of those weird ignition switches that just uses magic uhh... RFID? Magnets? How do those things work? Anyway, the point of these two paragraphs is that my dad's car is really fancy and not all sad and broken like mine, but that I can't really drive it.

Today is my last day at work, hooray! Nick is not here and he told me to make James do everything himself today to see how he does, so I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do. I know we're behind on scanning, so he probably wants me to do that. For eight hours. It'll be like when I started!

Casey arrives in Chicago tomorrow evening! I am so excited.

Does this make you angry? It should. (Also, Obama voted yea. COME ON.)

Also, jeez I've been posting a lot, and there are a bunch of other little things I keep meaning to tell you about (I got CARDED AT THE LIBRARY last week when trying to check out the Avengers DVD for my dad. The librarian had no problem giving me Brothel, though. Do I really look seventeen or younger?). Maybe I should consider Twitter.

I have no videos of Diffie for January through May of this year, and no photos for April or May, either. Lame! I have failed in my Diffie documentation. But hey, look!







I have photos, too, but I need to be back at my computer to see the dates to do the captions. Sorry.

Oh, and she finally killed the winger dinger. She chewed through the plastic and got the ball-holding part off of the handle. So sad! I still don't know why she loved that toy so much. Maybe I'll take her to Petsmart and buy her another one sometime.

I'm just passing this link along: you know that human slinky act? The dude who does that has a daughter, and she's starting slinky practice, too. The beginning is kind of dumb and the music in the middle's awful and then it switches to diamond ad music, but when the dad gets in his suit, too, and the daddy slinky and the little girl slinky are dancing together, it's pretty darn cute.

Okay, bedtime, for real.

It turns out the Postcards from Yo Momma people actually want to use the other one of Mom's emails I sent them (I sent two on the same day and they only put one up on the site). Mom is mostly amused by this, although I think she secretly thinks I'm mocking her. But I'm not! The emails really are funny.

Also, all of this being productive business the last few days has been great, but HOLY CRAP I AM SO TIRED. It is bedtime. Past bedtime!

Both yesterday and today I didn't eat way too much, and I went to the Y today after having not gone for... two or three weeks? I am really proud of myself. I am a friggin' rockstar.

Jezebel's writing letters to Obama, too! Man do I like those Jezzies.

PS lection and palegreenthings, I really didn't mean to be a jerk! You couldn't hear the tone of my voice which would have clearly indicated I was just playing around. I'm sorry! Augh.

Oh man, you guys: the weekend I just got back from might be my last weekend up at the lake this summer. This weekend I'll be in Chicago, both weekends after that I'll be in Connecticut, and the weekend after that I'll be moving in down in Indy. Maybe if Mike and Nancy (my aunt and uncle who live in Fishers) drive up some weekend in August, I can go, too, but I don't know if they will. I haven't even gone wakeboarding once!

The weekend at the lake was nice! No wakeboarding, but I did take Diffie for two long (1.5 hour) walks and did some swimming. And on Saturday we totally dominated the competition in the boat parade (and for the first time in ten years, Dad won the sailboat race he hosts!) and there were fireworks and we made s'mores. Annnnnd I got to see a lot of my aunts and uncles and cousins, including Katie and Steve. I really want to spend more time with them because seriously, they are awesome.

I had to work today (blech), but it was my last Sunday (hooray!). The new guy started today and I kind of started showing him how to do some stuff. I really don't know how to train people and get my work done at the same time. He'll be back again tomorrow, so I'd better figure it out.

I got four things in the mail today: a savings bond from Grandy; a new credit card, since the one I have now expires this month; a postcard from Veerle, who is vacationing in Italy; and my move-in information sheet from Landmark Apartments. Yaaaaay! I am super-excited about moving down to Indy.

I have just about four weeks left before I move! I can't believe it. I have SO MUCH that I want to do between now and then and I don't know how I'll fit it all in. And I get to see Casey this Saturday but then actually go visit him a week from Friday in Connecticut for more than a week. So this month is pretty much going to be incredibly busy and part of it will be incredibly awesome. Yeah!

You guys have seen these, right?

My application at Landmark Apartments got accepted. They're sending me a move-in information packet. Yaaaaay! :D

Raaaaar, I forgot to say "rabbit, rabbit" this morning! I was thinking about it while I was trying to fall asleep last night, but then I started thinking about other things, so it wasn't what was on my mind when I woke up. Grar. And I'd been doing pretty well--I forgot in January, but I think I'd remembered every month since then. Lame.

Also, HOW IS IT JULY ALREADY. The spring just went by way too quickly and now it is one of my least favorite months of the year. But this one should actually be pretty good: my last day of work is the 11th, I get to see Casey on the 12th and 13th, and I get to visit him from the 18th (or so) to the 28th (or so). And at the end of the month I'll be packed up and ready to go back to <3 school <3. Yeah!

Oh, mid-year review of my new year's resolutions: I got behind on emails again and had things left from three weeks ago earlier this month. I'm back on top of it now (or nearly--there's one thing left to take care of that I should have done by Sunday), though, and I'm still doing way better than in years past. I don't know that I've made much progress on the anxiety front. I don't feel like I have much to talk about with Jocelyn and I still immediately jump to the catastrophic possibilities when something goes wrong. I need to make time to work on that anxiety book, but I think it's going to have to wait until I get down to Indy. And with my finances, I'm still not doing a good job of controlling my spending like I should, but I'm doing a good job of tracking that and a better job of it than usual. My big progress here is that I've made and been tweaking a budget for this coming semester (and into the spring and summer) to make sure I can pay for school. I'm trying hard to actually create a reasonable budget, rather than creating standards I can't meet, but the real test will be how well that budget fits me in the next few months.

Overall, I think I'm still doing pretty well. I didn't make as much progress this quarter as I did last, but I'm still managing to keep up (or nearly so).

Time to work!