do you like? (it’s currently in multiple pieces in a box behind my desk because i am homeless).

i move in in 2 days.  finally. FINALLY.

oh, and here’s a picture of my new roommate.

things i’m missing: couch, washer/dryer, tv, tv stand, rug, desk, dog bowls, mop, vacumn, pots/pans, glasses, utensils, shower curtain, all other bathroom accessories.

so yes, basically, i have a chair.

-jessica

but be bright,
bright,
bright as yellow,
warm as yellow.

the innocence mission ~ bright as yellow

took a foto.

spider juice on my rug. ewww.

i think it’s a brown recluse….do you?

-jessica

yesterday was absolutely gorgeous here in st louis.  perfect temperature.  just the right sun to cloud ratio.  comfortable light breeze.  lovely.

i spotted the band from the school across the street playing some tunes on the playground, and this group of dudes playing craps on the back of their truck in the alley behind our building.  (they were also grilling and had some fold out chairs set-up).  these are only things you see on beautiful st louis days.

but we know days like these can never last.

today’s weather is super volatile.

sometimes the spring terrifies me.  i have always had a love/hate relationship with severe weather.  there is something absolutely fascinating about tornados and the conditions that support them.  when i was little my parents gave me a set of tornado chaser videos that i watched constantly.  they are so incredibly powerful and they can come on w/ almost no warning.  so much damage.

even when a tornado isn’t involved, things can get pretty hairy, like in Alton, IL yesterday when a building collapsed in the middle of downtown.  yep.  just over the river!

we haven’t seen much of the really bad stuff in stl yet, but it’s early, and will certainly come soon.

in other news…when the weather gets wet and muggy (like today), the creepy crawlies seem to want to take shelter inside.  this is no good for me because i have some serious issues co-habitating with spiders.  serious.

 so i have 2 phobias:

tornados
&
spiders

while we probably will not see a dreaded twister today (though it’s always possible), after this morning, the spider part is covered. 

guess who was chilling in my sink today?  giant brown spider (ok, by giant i mean…like the size of a quarter, but that’s quite giant enough for me.)

creepiest part?  he was not in there when i got out of the shower, so at some point that guy was just hanging out nearby while i went through the morning routine.  it’s very possible that he dropped from the ceiling because i’m not sure how else he would have managed to get in my bowl sink.  what i’m saying is….he could have dropped on my head. 

i wanted to take a photo, but i was too terrified to do so.  this is creepy brown spider #3.  i know this sounds paranoid and crazy, but i am relatively sure there are brown recluses.  which would make sense considering the fact that i live in the middle of brown recluse territory.  i don’t want their venom to eat away my flesh.

in the end, i did not have to squish him because there are other people in my life that are less terrified than me that like me enough to exterminate my spiders.  however, had i been alone, there is a good chance i would i have created a blowtorch w/ my hairspray and fried the little bugger.

should we bomb again??

-jess

There’s a spider on the drain and he’s feeling pain
And he doesn’t want to die any more than you or I
He’s struggling to live but he doesn’t have much time
Any more than you or I, you or I

weezer ~ the spider

i love to eat an apple.  LOVE them.   i love their delicious juicyness and the chompy noise they make when you bite into them.  i love them in caramel, peanut butter or even just plain.  i just love them.

however, eating an apple can be difficult because i inevitably get apple all over my face.  gosh, there must be some easier way to eat apples.

of course!  an apply wedger!  i always knew these magnificant devices existed, but i never actually owned one.  who knew it would make my life that much simpler. 

my little sister was sweet enough to give me her extra apple wedger. it was the nice kind…from pampered chef. 

i purchased some apples late last week with the specific intention of slicing each into 10 equal, tasty parts. 

apple one:  success!  the perfect apples slices.  i was so excited, i couldn’t wait to dunk my apples into the caramel dip i had purchased just for this purpose.  i think, i better clean off my new tool so it will be ready for the next apple i choose to eat. 

as i washed the new, wonderful addition to my kitchen team, i couldn’t help but smile and marvel at the fact that such a small detail can make such a huge difference in my apple eating experience. 

it’s difficult to clean though.  as i am just finishing up, still ecstatic, i flip the wedger over to give it a quick rinse. perfect.  good to go for next time.

somewhere between the wedger’s bath and it’s arrival back to it’s protective plastic sleeve, something went wrong.

our happy relationship took a turn for the worst.  i’m not sure if my new friend was upset that i wasn’t choosing to eat a 2nd apple just then, of if perhaps it had an extreme distaste for the confines of it’s plastic prison, but either way, i was biten.

my finger was sliced.  and rather deeply.  it was so incredibly razor sharp that i barely realized it had happened until the blood began to flow.  i tossed the offending utensil across the counter.  and ran to find my neon band-aids.  now it hurts when i play guitar.

how dare you, apple wedger.

i thought this was going to be a beautiful relationship, but now i realize i must be more careful for you are not here for my pleasure.  you are out to destroy me.  one slice at a time.

-jessica

my mom does this little thing..it’s a bit strange, but she leaves the tv on for our dogs when she goes out. but not just that..she leaves it on a specific channel..hgtv. as if my dogs are going to have some input during our next home remodel. whatever the reason, it can’t be denied that having a channel preference for our pets isn’t a little weird.

back when i spent more time at my parent’s house, i detested hgtv. i couldn’t understand how my mom, my sister, my sister’s fiance and even my dog’s could spend so many hours watching various shows about home remodeling and house searching and, well, all things home related.

however, in the past few months, something has happened to my opinion of hgtv. i can’t explain it, but for some reason, i can’t help but feel the desire to watch it all the time. i love watching first time home buyers relentlessly search for the perfect starter home. i fully enjoy watching a kitchen transform from a cheesy closed-in outdated space with appliances from the stone-age to the perfect, open, modern kitchen. i am excited about cheap design-on-a-dime tips.

i love it.

i watch it for hours on end. until they start playing the repeats from the 6am shows around 11pm.

perhaps i’m entering a new phase in my life. i mean less than 2 years ago i was cooped up in university housing, somehow managing to stuff all of my things and another person’s things into a room the size of my current closet. let’s be honest–in the realm of home design, there just isn’t much you can do with that.

i have space now, and though i’m not fully free to do as i please with my wall colors and floor plan and such, i can make changes that matter. i have a color scheme! my furniture matches AND it is not made of plastic or something i found in a pile by a random person’s trashcans (though i must admit i did get my computer chair for free on facebook). this is a step in the right direction.

however, i truly can’t wait to somehow how my own house to tear up and put back together. i want to create my “dream kitchen” and give myself a spa-worthy tub. i want a back yard, or at least a space large enough to entertain inside. i want to accessorize my living room. i want glasses and plates and silverware that match. i want to be the first person to own my couch.

argggg. i’ve come a long way, but i’ve still got a long road ahead of me.

that’s life, though, i guess.

-jess

 

And now after all my searching
After all my questions
I’m gonna call it home
I’ve got a brand new mindset
I can finally see the sunset
I’m gonna call it home

switchfoot ~ this is home

okay,  i’m ashamed of myself.  i said, i’ll write weekely.  promise.  it’s my resolution.  and one week in, i have failed.  i have FAILED you, reader.

i hope you will forgive me.  i am weak.

anyway, things are back into full swing at work.  busy busy busy.  but not today–not for me at least.  i woke up feeling a little less than awesome.  actually, yesterday i got off work, immediately passed out on my couch, woke up to devour some oreos and ritz toasted chips which i kept down for approximately 1 hour.  it was unfortunate.  i watched some bad television, and then fell back asleep, only to awake to a splitting headache and a shakey tummy.

the answer?  take the day off.

so here i am.  middle of the week, middle of the day, not quite sure what to do with myself now that the tylenol has kicked in.  i still feel a little dizzy, but overall, the results are 80% better.  this is good.

*edit*
ok, after taking a shower and attempting to stand for 20 minutes, i have reduced my improvement to 40%.  yayyy.
*edit*

so the other day i decided to do something i didn’t think i would do.  i went to wal-mart with a specific task in mind.  just one thing i wanted to come home with (and if you knew my wal-mart, you would know why you would only want to go there if you absolutely had to).  but this time, i went with just one thing on my list.  a book.  a silly fiction book.  i have no clue what convinced me one sunday morning to purchase a 500 page book on vampires, but something struck me and i suddenly felt compelled.

so i drove to wal-mart and picked up the last copy of “twilight”.  it was ratty, it looked like 12 different people had read it while splayed out in various positions on the aisle floor. turning each page, folding the cover, giving it a little more than general wear and tear.  i didn’t hesitate as i purchased the more-than-slightly-used book. of course, though, i only wanted it for the content, and all the pages seemed to be present.

so, 2 days later, i am 300 pages in to this silly book.  what?  300 pages??  2 days??  that’s not even counting today as i slept through all of today.

for whatever reason, this book has turned millions of teenagers, young adults, and others into excessive page turners.  i normally don’t read fiction.  and i certainly don’t study up on vampires.  so why this book?

i’m not sure.  perhaps hearing the girls at work chatter about it non-stop, maybe watching my 17 year-old cousin tear through the 4 books, maybe seeing it highlighted on tv and the internet.  i dunno.  but i have joined the revolution.

i am a reader of twilight.

i’m not addicted, no, but i can’t help but to want to finish.  the writing is easy to read, creates a clear picture in your mind.  it’s about young, forbidden love, which seems to capture the attention of many.  i’ll take it.  it’s much more exciting than reading about search engine optimization (though the information probably won’t serve me as well)

but it’s a good vacation away from the books i normally read.  i like it.  and i never thought i would.

-jessica

Call me a safe bet. I’m betting I’m not.

brand new ~ the boy who blocked his own shot

That’s what I’m experiencing right now.

Today has been quite the uneventful day here at work. 90% of the company (or what’s left of the company) is on vacation. The few that are here are off milling about in their respective areas.

So the only answer? Drown myself in pixie stix. It’s a fantastic replacement for lunch, and leaves me feeling jittery and creepy.

Creepy, jittery girl.

It’s my parents fault, really, for providing me with this bag of sugary goodness as a stocking stuffer. Alternatively they also stuffed in a toothbrush and a bag of those 1-time-use floss sticks. I dig the sticks, but the toothbrush lacks those squishy colorful fingers that claim to massage my gums. I do enjoy a good gum massage, and thus, the fingerless brush is less than desirable.

What else did I receive you may ask? Well, I have to say, I did quite well this year. I learned the secret to really getting what you want, and it is more simple than I ever could have imagined.

Ask for it. But don’t just ASK for it. SPELL IT OUT. Here is my list…here are the links. You may purchase them here with your credit card. Free shipping if you act now!

Be specific and be happy.

Ahh yes, though, you’ll still end up with the occasional random gift. Sometimes these can work out beautifully…sometimes you’ll find yourself in the refund/return line at Kohl’s for 2 hours.

Because of my line item Christmas list, I didn’t get a lot of random gifts this year. Though I did give a couple. I gifted Silly Putty, knit slippers (cute, I must admit), multiple packs of chewing gum, candy, candles, and other things just to fill the space. I even bought some of those little metal tubes with the foul-smelling liquid plastic bubbles for my sister. You know you would have enjoyed that present.

I didn’t put up a tree this year. Somehow the time got away from me. I started working with a designer to put together our company holiday card in October. OCTOBER! I started working with vendors to send our holiday gifts in November. I started shopping for my family in early December. And yet somehow, despite my obvious introduction to Christmas at an incredibly early date, I managed to put off, and put off, and put off my silly tree.

You would never even know it was Christmas by looking in my apartment.

Part of that sentence is sad. Because I do so love the holidays, but part of it is fantastic because I now do not have to worry about disassembling a winter wonderland that once was my living room. Last year my tree stayed erect until March. The year before it was April. It became the Easter tree.

So, now I have evaded that issue altogether. All I had to give in return was the lack of the holiday spirit in my humble abode. I ‘spose I can deal with that.

However, in order to make amends for my lack of holiday glee, I chose to adorn myself in Christmas colored apparel during my visit home. Yes, with my red hair, and my red and green holiday ensembles, I was a regular Kris Cringle groupie.

And you know? It felt good. Just spreadin’ the cheer.
Or something like that.
I have some resolutions, by the way.

I usually don’t make resolutions, nor do I keep them when I do. I am making one that might interest you though, reader. I intend to update this silly blog once a week in 2009.
Can I promise you captivating and exciting content each week? No. Probably not. But can I make you feel more exciting simply by the sad truth that I often lead a dull, uneventful existence? Why, surely.

So come back. Read about my life. Leave a comment if you so choose.
If you should somehow find me interesting, tell a friend.
However, please do not be creepy and steal my photos, songs, stories, videos and recreate my likeness on a gaming website. That is not okay.

I mean that in the nicest way, of course.

Creeper.

Have a wonderful New Year. 2008 was a step up from 2007, so I have even higher hopes for the 2009!

-jessica
OH yeah….I never eat the blue pixie stix. I have a pile on my desk if you want them.

“Oh Pancho, Oh! Vixen, Oh! Pedro, Oh! Blitzen,”
Ole! Ole! Ole! cha cha cha.
Mamacita, donde esta Santa Claus?
Oh! Where is Santa Claus?
It’s Christmas Eve.

Guster ~ Donde Esta Santa Claus?

i hate fuzzy ambiguity.

well, to some extent it is necessary, but too much of it is a terrible thing.

i feel so very overwhelmed by my current housing situation. suddenly, and without much warning, i am forced to find a new option.

i find myself scouring facebook marketplace and craigslist trying to find a person or apartment that seems to fit me–but none does.

sure there are apartments that seem nice, and people that seem nice, but i’m having a lot of trouble finding a person whose goals and wants are closely aligned with my own. even more difficult is finding a person who has those things, and also wants to live in the same area that i do.

i don’t think that i’m being excessive or out of line, though. i’m just looking for something different that they are.

i suppose i want to live near downtown. i don’t need to live there. i don’t need to be able to walk to work, but i would like to be near it. i don’t want to drive 30 minutes to work each day.

i want to feel safe. i want to be able to walk to my car by myself at night.

i want a decent looking place. i want a slightly updated kitchen, because i know that if my kitchen is stuffed full of old dirty appliance, i’ll avoid it like the plague. and then i’ll find myself shoving ranch doritos and cheese sauce into my mouth on my bed while watching tbs re-runs. not good for anyone, really.

i want a decent sized bathroom. i like being able to turn around in there. i’m not sure why. i also would like my shower to be clean. i want to get clean in a clean space.

i’d like it to be in an area that is close to things. perhaps a grocery store. a restaurant. a local pub. whatever. i just don’t want to be in the middle of nowhere.

okay. that’s all that is really necessary. everything else is push and pull to get the right price/location/person.

is this too much?

is this too boring? yes. it is. here are some pictures from mexico to de-borify this post. enjoy.

our resort–the Royal Solaris

enjoying the pool

senor frogs

the beach!

 

okay, that will be all for now. g’day.

-jessica

 

Hold my hand
My fingers are cold.
Don’t say a word
Just hold me close.

schuyler fisk ~ be still

 

so i’ve lived in belleville at the same apartment for a year and a few months.  for the most part we haven’t had a lot of issues, for awhile our dishwasher wouldn’t drain…they fixed that..it doesn’t really clean dishes that well, but at least it drains.

it’s a nice place, big enough, clean, but a few months ago, this spot showed up in the hallway.  just a small spot of water.  at first i though maybe megan spilled something and forgot to clean it up.  whatever.  so it goes away, and a few days later it returned.  and i though, hmm, that’s weird.  and it went away again.  and then it came back, only bigger.

at this point we called the landlord and told her about the mysterious spot.  it’s in the middle of the carpet.  there is nothing leaking around it.  there is no leak spot on the ceiling–sort of baffling.

a month goes by, and nothing happens, except for that the spot continues to grow, and grow, and grow.  it’s right outside my bedroom, so i have to consciously avoid it in order to not step it in.  stepping in it is awful gross.

megan and i both called again, and i asked the landlord if someone had been out to see it.  apparently a guy had come by after our original call and done nothing….

so they came by the other day when i was home sick from work, the guy just looked it it.  touched the carpet, and left.  and now days later, it’s still getting bigger.

the worst part is that it’s started to get moldy.

i’m kind of worried about this spot as it is taking over my hallway, and with as wet as it is up here, i can’t imagine that the people below us aren’t affected.

i’m baffled.  and pretty sure it’s not a good thing.  but we won’t be living here much longer.

-jessica

Help me I’m just not quite myself
Look around there’s no one else there

the strokes ~ heart in a cage