Home, new home

Here is a mirror image of what my new apartment looks like.

I got to walk around in it yesterday before the dinner party and have already begun to start placing things: like the TV will go where the cable is and the couch will be on the other wall. 

Pretty simple.

It is an upstairs apartment and I am completely ok with this: no one above me = win. 

The only problem with this is the moving in of the large objects: couch, TV, bed, bureau... hopefully my bookshelves can be taken apart for easy movement, so I won't have to worry about them.

Very pleased at the inclusion of washer and dryer. That was easily a large point for moving into this complex.... as well as the fact that I will be saving $150 a month on rent alone!

And with the place being smaller, perhaps the bill for air/heat will be smaller too.

Not too much on the agenda today: will be heading over to Books-A-Million to peruse their magazines and Praxis I study books. 

Must study, for the Praxis is next Friday!

So, I've done it.
I've turned in my 30-days notice to the resident manager.
However, the question of where I'm going to live is still a little bit in question. O.o;;

Still waiting to hear back from one place that I'm sure to get in to. However, this place is about 110 square feet smaller than my current apartment.... which really shouldn't be a problem considering the amounts of dead space that are in this apartment. The bad thing is that this place doesn't allow pets, so no kittens living with me. /sob

The big downer now is the packing part. D:

Snail on my sleeve

Disclaimer: Before anyone thinks I'm talking about them, don't worry; I'm not. It's all about me. Me me me. XD

So, I have a problem.
This problem has been around since I've been born:

I wear my heart on my sleeve and I easily fall in love.

I do. It's all or nothing for me. I either care about someone/something or I don't. And if I'm inbetween, it's just because I haven't made up my mind yet.
And I don't just mean with people; I mean with animals and inanimate objects.

Example:
There was a snail on the side of my apartment the other day. I cooed at it and waved as I went to work, thinking that snails are slow and I'll see it when I'm on my lunch break.
When I came back on my lunch break, I found it crushed. It had worked its way to the ground and had been stepped on.
I was so sad.

Is this normal?

And this leads to even more problems than crying over crushed molluscans; it leads to me getting in my own way.

If I'm giving 110 percent, for some silly reason, I expect it in return. Be it friendship/relationship/coworker....ship.
Then, when the 110 percent isn't given back, I'm incredibly disappointed.
I set myself up for the fall!

Why?!
Why do I continue to do this to myself?!
Why do I think that someone is going to be on the exact wavelength?

It's not really purposeful..... it's pretty much automatic with me.

The Housing Situation

So, let's bring you guys up to speed:

I'm not exactly thrilled with where I'm living; there's just too many things that are inexcusable:

My door frame has never been fixed; so if someone is cleaning up the walkway area with a leaf blower, (which is often) a lot of what's being blown about is ending up in my foyer. So each week I'm sweeping out leaves, sticks and cigarette butts. Speaking of cigarette butts, anytime someone is in the walkway, smoking, the smoke makes its way into my apartment and I
start freaking out and running around smelling things, thinking that the apartment is burning down.

My upstairs neighbor is still a loud twat. This actually a pretty normal complaint and wouldn't be an inexcusable offense had it not been for the circumstances. Everyone (even people who don't live directly near her) complain. However, she's diddling someone important to the
complex, so nothing can be done.

Pet allowance for special people. I don't care if the daughter of someone has a Shih Tzu. If you allow someone to have a dog, I should be allowed to have a cat. All or nothing.

Parking is atrocious and always will be. And there's absolutely no plans to fix that. There are constantly people parking in the drive ways and walking areas making it difficult to walk, drive or park. And it's always going to be that way. Sometimes I like to be able to get out of the complex.

Raising the rent. Okay, So this is a bit excusable with the current economy. However, I don't believe I should be paying $500 for a place that I don't believe I should be paying $480 for. Granted, the rent is higher than most places because of its location to campus (I live in a college town).

Don't get me wrong: the manager and assistant manager are very sweet (well, the newer ones, the last manager was snippy for no reason).
There where huge bees when I was moving in, and that made me smile.
And I'm five minutes away from my best friend, ten minutes away from work and ten minutes away from Target.

But I'm unhappy.

So, I made the decision a few months ago to look into moving.

I found a house that was perfect! But it was much more than I could afford.

The complex that my best friend allows pets and is much cheaper.
So, I went in and asked if anything was going to be available between then (early Feb.) and early April. The lady said yes and gave me an application.
Then checked my employment and told me I was on a waiting list and was next in line. So, the next thing that came up would be for me.

The credit check cleared early this week, yet, when the lady called me, she said there wasn't anything available.

What?!

I'm not going to call her a liar... but if I was next in line, with no one in front of me, why would nothing be available?

So, I may be couch surfing with my stuff in storage until something comes available. <.<

Not pleased!

Truthiness

I throughly enjoyed this dialogue in Pulp Fiction:

Fabienne: I was looking at myself in the mirror.

Butch: Uh-huh?

Fabienne: I wish I had a pot.

Butch: You were lookin' in the mirror and you wish you had some pot?

Fabienne: A pot. A pot belly. Pot bellies are sexy.

Butch: Well you should be happy, 'cause you do.

Fabienne: Shut up, Fatso! I don't have a pot! I have a bit of a tummy, like Madonna when she did "Lucky Star," it's not the same thing.

Butch: I didn't realize there was a difference between a tummy and a pot belly.

Fabienne: The difference is huge.

Butch: You want me to have a pot?

Fabienne: No. Pot bellies make a man look either oafish, or like a gorilla. But on a woman, a pot belly is very sexy. The rest of you is normal. Normal face, normal legs, normal hips, normal ass, but with a big, perfectly round pot belly. If I had one, I'd wear a tee-shirt two sizes too small to accentuate it.

Butch: You think guys would find that attractive?

Fabienne: I don't give a damn what men find attractive. It's unfortunate what we find pleasing to the touch and pleasing to the eye is seldom the same.

It's so true.

Whatever happened to romance?

Disclaimer: This post originally appeared in 2007 as a blog post, which got resurrected as a column that ran in the HUB section of the Feb. 12 edition of Hattiesburg American. Here it is, presented in its unedited format.

Whatever happened to romance?

I realize that we live in an immediate gratification society, where everyone is trying to beat everyone else to the punch. Where lightning fast internet and up-to-the-minute news still isn't fast enough. Where competitiveness is a national sport and a much sought after personality trait.

Myself, I prefer a nice smile, a great sense of humor and almost lightning fast internet... that's probably why I would never make it as a retail manager or in any sort of competitive based job.

But, I digress...

Whatever happened to slow, soft kisses and holding hands?
They seem to have been replaced with hurrying to stick one's tongue down the other's throat and jumping into bed within minutes of meeting someone.

Call me old fashioned, but it takes more than three dates at allow someone to see the holiest of my... well, you know.

Is chivalry dead?

Women blame it on men; men blame it on women.
Honestly, I think it's both. Men think they can get away with things because there are women out there who let them. And the men who act like gentlemen are shunned by some women into acting... well... ungentlemenly.

Valentine's Day has become a bane to couples and singletons everywhere.
Couples fret over what to get their sweethearts and singletons want to vomit at the sight of couples attached at the lips.

Here's a tip for couples:
Handmade gifts are incrediblely sweet. Remember that old saying: It's the thought that counts. And while jewelry, flowers and other pricey gifts are great, they are almost the easy way out and can require little thought. A gift made from your own hands shows the thought you put into it.

And for you singletons:
Grab a friend or two and head out for a night on the town. Valentine's Day isn't just about lovers. Celebrate the day in your own way, on your own terms. Send valentines to your friends to show that you're thinking of them.

Drink a toast to singlehood, a toast to friendship or a toast to life!
Looking for love in all the wrong places.

I like walks along the beach, sitting around in pajamas eating ice cream and watching movies, hugs, shy glances across the room, roses(who knew?), soft-sweet kisses, more hugs, talking for hours about nothing at all, snuggling and, of course, romance.

Hello, everyone.
My name is Rose and I'm a love-aholic.

Rose Pendleton is a love-aholic looking in all the wrong places.
All roses, chocolates and poetry can be sent to rnpendleton@hattiesburgamerican.com.

Three times the charm

So, here's my doctor update from my appointment Tuesday afternoon:
My PCOS has caused me to have hardcore insulin resistance. I have three times the amount of insulin hanging out in my bloodstream than there should be.

My insulin sensitivity nearly doesn't exist. except when I get so hungry that I start to shake. Then I'm so sensitive, that there's no more insulin left and I must feed!
This insulin overload is the reason I ballooned from a size 4 to a size 14 in no time. And now struggle to lose one pound.

I'm on a scary rollercoaster who's next stop is diabetes.

My endo doctor prescribed some diabetes medication which will keep the insulin in check and I'll be able to lose weight!

However, I don't want to go back to being a size 4; it was boring. No boobs, no hips, really. XD
I'd much rather a size 10 or 12; I enjoy having curves.
Not only will I be slimmer, I'll be healthy too.

A big downside to this medication is the size. They're like horse pills! I hate taking pills!

What was odd was the printed material on the side of the bottle. It stated that I should wear an ID bracelet while taking this medication.

I was terrified!
The doctor said nothing about that!

I called the pharmacist, who said that only full-fledged diabetics have to wear the ID tag in case they go into a diabetic coma and can't tell people what they are taking.

Another good thing: My symptoms aren't strong enough to warrant a Lupus test.
While I might have it, it's not at a scary stage.

Updates? In my blog?

Off to the endo doctor!
Wish me luck...errr... health!
Will edit later with updates.

Internet doctor....

... means serious bidniz....

So, I was playing web doctor the other day, searching for other ways of PCOS relief besides medication..... and it apparently doesn't exist. Granted, eating healthy and taking exercise helps; but they are nothing without meds. :(

My general doctor subscribes to WebMD and suggested it to me since I insist on playing web doctor. She did it mostly to keep me out of trouble and from hyperventilating over false prognoses.

But yes, as written and told, the best 'medication' for PCOS relief is to lose weight.
However, PCOS ladies can't lose weight without medication. >.<>PCOS occurs when the ovaries don’t make enough hormones for the eggs to fully mature. Instead of releasing a mature egg during ovulation, some of the follicles in the ovaries turn into fluid-filled sacs called cysts. More than six out of every 10 women who have PCOS are also overweight.

Why does polycystic ovary syndrome cause weight gain?

With PCOS, the body has more difficulty using the hormone insulin, which normally helps convert sugars and starches from foods into energy. This condition -- called insulin resistance -- can cause insulin and sugar -- glucose -- to build up in the bloodstream.

High insulin levels increase the production of male hormones called androgens. High androgen levels lead to symptoms such as body hair growth, acne, irregular periods -- and weight gain. Because the weight gain is triggered by male hormones, it is typically in the abdomen. That is where men tend to carry weight. So instead of having a pear shape, women with PCOS have more of an apple shape. (thankfully, I don't have an apple shape, just a big stomach)

What can I do to lose weight if I have polycystic ovary syndrome?

Losing weight not only can help you look better -- it can also make you feel better. When you have PCOS, shedding just 10% of your body weight can bring your periods back to normal. It can also help relieve some of the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Weight loss can improve insulin sensitivity. That will reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other PCOS complications."

The article then goes on to say to visit your doctor, who will prescribe medication and eat healthy. Great, more medication. :(

Well, if it helps, then I can't complain... too much. :P

I'm a size 16 now and I'd like to go back to size 12, or 10 even.
Going to see the endo doctor Tuesday, so cross your fingers and hope these meds are cheap. O.o

BTW: Murmur got altered yesterday and is doing fine.

Awesome photo is awesome

So, there a plenty of downers to working in news:
less pay than most professions, stress, insanity.... and that's just me. XD

However, there are some ups, like the photo above.
Info: In this photo provided by Chris Nakashima-Brown, an electronic road sign is seen in
Austin, Texas on Monday, Jan. 26, 2009. Two electronic signs intended to warn motorists of construction near the intersection of Lamar and Martin Luther King boulevards were changed yesterday by hackers. (AP Photo/Chris Nakashima-Brown)

For love of food

Cross-posted in Bittersweet Rose/La Vie de Rose for great food justice.

For those that don't follow my Twitter updates, I occasionally post food recalls. Recently, I've been posting info about the current peanut butter recall.

Here's the foods that you should be on the lookout for:

Parnell's Pride and King Nut peanut butter, Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies, Austin and Keebler Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, snack-size packs of Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies, Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Chocolate Chunk Cookies and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Special K Honey Almond Bars.

Do not buy these. If you have them, toss it.
I don't want my readers to get salmonella. O.o;;

Fear not peanut butter lovers, retail peanut butters like Jif, Peter Pan and such are not affected as the recall is for things made with peanut butter paste out of a Georgia peanut butter company. Evil, dirty Georgians!

Updates will be forthcoming as I get them.

A doodle....

A doodle of my RO sage, SpookyRose. :D
She's upset about fighting scary monsters. XD

Bandwagoning

So, this letter is circulating about the Interwebs; so I'm jumping on the bandwagon, so to speak, and posting it here. Because it really is awesome.
Here's an excerpt: (with cleaned up English, grammar and punctuation)

"Imagine being a twelve-year-old boy, Richard. Now, it’s Christmas morning and you’re sitting, with your final present to open. It’s a big one, and you know what it is. It’s that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about.
Only you open the present and it’s not in there. It’s your hamster, Richard. It’s your hamster in the box and it’s not breathing."

Go here for mores: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/4344890/Virgin-the-worlds-best-passenger-complaint-letter.html.