いっつも、最後の最後、救われる。

It may be that I tend to work much harder for something when it gets down to the very last moment where I could still make it work out fine, or that I have this strange knack for being saved right before I fall into a serious problem (it's happened three times in the last year).

Whatever it might be, I have a new job!!

Mind you it's a temporary job, but six months is a decent length for a temporary job, especially when you're working for the state, get paid 25% more than where you're currently working, are guaranteed full time hours at the SAME time every day every week (no more working weekends for me!), and aren't hassled/disciplined for feeling too sick to come to work every once in a great while. Bonus: I get to feel like I'm helping out with the election! Whee! I'll be entering and updating information in their voter registration database. I had a feeling I did all right with the interview, especially when they made sure they had my work references before I left and the guy told me I did a good job (I swear he said that to me as I was leaving, but I can't remember for certain). They said they'd call me whether they chose me or not. The lady who interviewed me called and left a message on my phone today, but just told me to call her back about the job. My mom does exactly that when she has good news for me - she waits for me to hear it in person. ^^

Now I don't have to worry about making it to Courtney's wedding. phew.

All I have to do is negotiate new hours with my current job, or if they don't like that idea, I'll quit. bam. I get very little notice with just about everything I do there, so I don't think they can really expect a lot of notice out of me. On the plus side, next week was the week I took five days off for my brother's wedding anyway, so it's rather like two weeks' notice with just a few days they need to find someone else to work, because I can work through Sunday.

I think I'll just quit, actually. 40 hours is enough to work in one week. Originally I planned to renegotiate hours because the new job was only going to be 8-10 weeks long, but now that it's 6 months I really don't see the point, especially when I'm so adamant about having weekends off (which is really the only time I could work, or evenings, but they have a ton of people for that already).

In other news, I went home to visit my parents this past weekend, and saw my brother and sister, picked up a lot of my things (and found out my sister stole a bunch more things I bought in Japan and lied to me about it), and brought my dress for my brother's wedding home for my mom to alter. Dave's birthday is on Saturday, and we will be going apple picking this weekend, which I am VERY excited for. I love eating apples, have loved picking apples since I was a little kid, and introducing people to it last year was really fun too. :D My brother is getting married in a week and a half, and now I have a new job to tell people all about while I'm there and I won't sound like I'm still the bum I was a year ago. I have to figure out how I want my hair done (and now I don't have to worry about how much I'll spend on it because I have a decent job). I'm thinking curls, but since my hair is in so many layers now I don't know how well that will work. And, down or up? Up is more formal, but I think down just looks better on me. I also had the JLPT study group today, and got a bit of insight into Ross' character that doesn't really come through when we're talking in Japanese. I can see how Fred would think it's annoying, but I'll learn to deal with it instead of just getting frustrated.

Knowing I don't have to search for jobs for a while any more will make me so much happier than I've been...

There are no obese old people.

I've heard all evidence pointing to this, but having it put this way really made me think about it. just something I was thinking about.

I went to visit my grandma and grandpa this past weekend and go to my aunt and uncle's 25th wedding anniversary. Seeing my grandparents and some of my mom's siblings was really fun, but the party was basically all people I didn't know except for a large handful of relatives, and most of the people there were just getting really drunk off shitty beer and acting like idiots. I got pretty good at giving a brief explanation of what was happening to me now and how old I was, and when I told some of them what I studied in school I just got so annoyed sometimes. I guess it's because they tell you what they think they know about Japanese but most people in northern WI haven't the foggiest idea (i.e. Ty's chimmy-chong story). Somehow the term 'Orientals' really pisses me off too (I like 'Asians' better), and that's what they call them (along with most people over 40 who aren't interested in foreign countries, probably leftovers from World War II). I mean I can't blame them, but if they're not even going to be respectful about it or listen to me explain after THEY ask me about it, they should keep their mouths shut. Luckily not all of them were like that, just a few.

It's really interesting, the way you come to see your relatives after you grow up. When you're a kid they're just kind of there while you play with your cousins (at least they were for me; I had so many I didn't get to know them all very well and I only saw them a few days per year), but when you grow up you notice much more what kind of a person they are, and I think I'm more objective and judgmental toward them, which I feel is a bit unfortunate. I feel like losing that innocent attitude is me being unkind, that high-and-mighty-college-educated attitude. Then again, maybe they were that way all along and I just never noticed. It could also be that we just don't know each other well and don't really need to.

Today I went apple picking and running errands with my mom since she had the day off from work. It was hot for picking apples -_-;; We also got five apples on our tree in the backyard! but the birds and the squirrels ate big chunks out of three of them :( so we have two good ones.

exercise time. :)