Updates

Well it's been a little while since I posted. These are a couple of recent, random pictures. There's one of my current housemate Dan and I, and I'm not really sure what is going on but it is an amusing picture. The other is some of the teenagers at my church. Dan, Alisa and I had them over on a Saturday evening. We ate frozen pizza and introduced them to Billy Madison. It was a good time. They are sitting in the sun room of my current apartment, the room I will definitely miss most. That's right, I am for sure moving. I just paid the deposit for a new apartment today! After a somewhat frustrating search, everything just fell into place, which I knew it would in the end. After Dan and Alisa decided to move, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I couldn't find two people to move in (that needed a place right now and who I would want to live with...) so I knew I would have to move but was having trouble finidng an affordable and decent one bedroom in a non-sketchy location. As of August 25th, I will be living in a one bedroom apartment in a quiet complex in the Highlands area (very near Bardstown Road for those who know Louisville). It's a pretty good deal. My parents are going to have to help me out with my rent though, which they offered to. If not, I would be living in a hole in the wall or move back to the Americana (which I really wanted to avoid). Money versus happiness. I chose happiness. I wish I could completely support myself, but not quite yet with no roommate and still in school (and determined not to live anywhere just because it is cheap). But soon I will have an awesome salary as a social worker and everything will be just fine ;) Back to my new place - it is definitely not as unique as the apartment I have now, but I like it just fine. The carpet is kind of ugly, but you can't have it all right? I also know two people who live in the complex and others near by (including Dan's new place). The location is a little less convenient for school and work, but not that bad (but my days of riding my awesome pink bike to school are over). A month ago I didn't even know I would be moving. If I could have stayed here another year, I definitely would have, but oh well. Life goes on. And I am looking foward to living on my own for the first time. Too bad it is so damn expensive! After this year I will probably need a roommate again, or a husband :) Oh yeah, I am also in need of some furniture. Right now I have a bed (that isn't even mine), a TV, and a bookcase. Need to work on that.

Other than the moving dilemma, my summer has still been going well. I start school August 20th. Not looking forward to that hectic lifestyle again, but at least I know I will be coming home to a clean house! :) Other than working full-time at Americana (where there is never a dull moment), taking plenty of opportunities to go to the Y (I feel so much healthier!) and spending time with friends (and myself), not much is new. I really am enjoying life right now and it will be very hard to get back into the routine of school. I should stop saying that. It will be so easy I mean. It is so fun to work and go to school and write papers all the time. Oh yeah, Katie was in town this past weekend! It was wonderful to see her. (reminder - Katie was one of my housemates when I was doing Urban Corps. She moved to Colorado, and came to visit for the weekend). And of course I already finished the Harry Potter book, which was fabulous. I laughed, I cried - and now I am so sad the series is over and I will never have the excitement of reading a new one again. And for those who still haven't read them, so should just give in and do it. Everyone else is! The other night my friends and I had a discussion with an English lit bartender who absolutely loathes Harry Potter. It was amusing. Oh yeah, I also went salsa dancing! It was a lot of fun and I learned some new moves. That has to be it for now, off to a Louisville Bats game with a bunch of Americana kids and staff (we got free tickets). Woo hoo.

A Day in the Life of Maria

Today (well now yesterday) I woke up at 7:45 a.m., which is sleeping in for me. Americana doesn't open until 10 on Fridays which is wonderful. I took a shower, got dressed, put on a little make-up, then ate a banana and a 100 calorie Yoplait strawberry yogurt for breakfast. I walked out the door with my hair still wet and wavy because I have gave up making time to blow dry my hair. I had an appointment with my chiropractor at 9:00 (located about 5 minutes away downtown in the 12th floor of some big building). I got to be on the roll a bed for 15 minutes or so which is very relaxing, then got my neck cracked which was much needed because it was very tight after a somewhat stressful week for me. I left the chiropractor around 9:45 then ran a couple of quick errands for work downtown before heading to the southend. This including stoping at Metro United Way to drop off two big boxes of tax records from this past tax season (we served over 500 clients at our free tax service). And I must mention that no one offered to help me carry them in or open the door, which I thought was somewhat rude. Then I stopped at some electrical store to buy a new emergi-lite battery becasue we just had our annual fire inspection and needed to correct some things. I arrived at work around 10:2o and took my position at the front desk. Luckily, Fridays are less stressful because there are no activities going on (which means no kids!), just a catch up work day. Two people called within the first ten minutes of me being there asking to rent the building. A little after 12, me, the Jasons, and Esther and Prady left work to stop by Mr. Mesa's party. He works with the kid's ESL program, which just ended Thursday (it was in the mornings, however the afternoon program still has two more weeks). He invited the teachers and Americana staff to his home for some very delicious Cuban food (he also runs a catering business) We got a little lost on the way because we were distracted talking to eachother instead of looking for street signs and lost about 20 minutes. For a half an hour we enjoyed awesome food (including BBQ chicken, beans & rice, fried plantains, and other good stuff I don't know the name of). We ate outside which was pleasant because by some miracle it was only in the 70s today. This was quite a treat for me because I usually take a "working lunch" (a.k.a. I don't get a break) and never have food as good as I did today. We returned to Americana a little after 1 (after driving on some awesome hills where we all pretended we were on a rollercoaster). I stayed at work until about 4, which included prioritizing a "facility management issues" report and doing some work to prepare for a $40,000 playground that will be built in less than a month thanks to a grant from an organization called Kaboom! I left a little after 4 to head to Wal-Mart (which I loathe, but today it was necessary). On the way to Wal-mart I got a call from Keith all the way from Germany (because I told him to call me via gmail chat before I left). I hadn't heard his voice for a year and it was a nice, but short chat. I pulled up to the "tire and lube" section of Wal-Mart 15 minutes later because I got a flat tire Wednesday evening and needed to not be driving on a spare anymore (this is what the pictures are of - it was after the international community reception at the Muhammad Ali Center where Americana got an award from the mayor, woohoo - luckily I had my coworker Will in my car who is very handy and changed my tire in his suit, he tried to teach me some pointers, but I was more interested in taking pictures, plus I had heels and a skirt on, it was also convenient that it happened in an empty parking garage and not the road). Back to today, so they told me it would take less than an hour to finish my car. So I go in and do some shopping for Americana (unfortunately the most affordable place where you can get everything you need in one stop, it was a very random shopping list) I bought the stuff with Edgardo's credit card, then went to see if my car was done. It was still in the garage, so I ate some Subway (which was inside Wal-Mart). Then I sit outside and wait for my car by my shopping cart full of stuff while catching up with Chad on the phone (there was a lot to discuss). Two hours later (should have expected that) my tire is fixed and it only cost $9.50. By this time it is 6:00 and I am supposed to meet my housemate Alisa and a friend from church/former LUC participant at the movies at 6. So I am a little late. Get to the movie theatre about 6:30. The movie started at 6:15, so I missed the beginning of Ocean's 13. Enjoyed the movie, it was entertaining, but they need to be done with those movies. Get out of the movies about 8:15. Take my friend Laura home. Chat in the parking lot for awhile. Talked to my friend Adam on the drive home who helped me realize that having to move is not the end of the world. Finally come home about 9:30, only to leave with Alisa to a going away party for our friend Heather who is leaving tomorrow morning for seminary in San Francisco. Mostly sit on the couch and talk to people at the party. Help someone retrieve a bottle of rum they dropped off the 5th floor balcony. Get scratched by a dog. Alisa leaves around 11, then my other housemate Dan shows up after work. We go down to the neighbor's porch swing (that is not on a porch) and chatted with our Bud Lights. Although I live with him, I hadn't seen him for a week due to St. Louis and opposite work schedules. He has also decided to move out of the apartment (but still in Louisville, closer to his work for cheaper rent with people that have a dog) so I am in need of finding a new living situation, which is a little stressful, but I'm sure will work out somehow. My coworker joined us on the swing, where we tried to avoid talking about Americana (but it kept coming up). Dan and I left about 12:45 a.m. Now I am at home updating my blog so everyone can know what a day in my life is like. I am waking up at 9 a.m. tomorrow in to help out my friend Emily who is running focus groups at Americana in order to complete a community health assessment regarding the new Health Clinic that will soon be opening up on Americana's property. I am providing childcare for $17 an hour. Rock on. I could have 2 kids, I could have 20, only time will tell. I also need to bring in to work all the crap that is still in my trunk, since I didn't make it back there. Ok, I need my sleep!

I think more people should do this.

Still Enjoying Summer....and a trip to St. Louis

As the title says, I am still enjoying my summer. One wonderful thing about no school is the ability to take weekend road trips without any stress. My friend Kim had a wedding to go to near St. Louis (a couple hours out) and I wanted to go to St. Louis to visit Abby, so we made the trip together. She drove down to Louisville and then on to St. Louis. It was my first time there and I had a great time. Long car rides are so much more enjoyable with someone to talk to along the way! Especially a good friend you don't get to see all the time. And of course it was great to see Abby (and Robb as well). Since it was my first time, we had to do some of the touristy things, like travel to the top of the arch. We also attempted to get a tour of the Budweiser brewery, but it was pretty crowded with a long wait (much like the arch). Instead, we admired all the beer and then decided to be rebels and sneak in the room at the end of tour where you get the free beer. So we enjoyed that without the hour long tour. I must say, the pomegranate-raspberry Michelob Ultra is very tasty. After a fun and much too quick weekend, I am back in Louisville.

Not much to update on other than St. Louis. And I really am not looking forward to going back to school. I still have a month and a half so I shouldn't worry yet, but it is going to be hard to get back into that crazy routine. This summer seems to be moving along much too quickly. I am enjoying my freedom while I have it. I love having time to exercise regularly, go out, spend time with friends, etc. The Americana staff has been gathering at Edgardo's house the past couple of Thursdays for lots of delicious food and just hanging out. I have also been able to go to the Wednesday night dinners at my church for the first time since I've moved here which has been nice. I've also made it to the track a couple times since Derby. $2 to get in and $1.50 beers fits in my budget, unlike Derby day. Unfortunately I haven't made any money, but my housemate made a good amount the other week. Dan, Alisa and I spent our 4th of July at the track and skipped out on the traditional BBQ and fireworks. I got enough fireworks at Thunder over Louisville.

Oh yeah, I do have another update. My housemate Alisa recently decided to move to Baltimore after our lease is up August 15th. So....I'm not too sure what my living situation will be after that. I'm trying not to worry about it, what happens will happen, but I really don't want to move, but that might have to happen. There are a few possibilities, but who knows. I guess I have a month to figure all that out. If I end up moving it's not the end of the world, but did I mention how much I loathe moving? And I am happy where I am, don't really want to leave. So we'll see. I'll keep you posted. It's also very sad that another friend is leaving Louisville! They all need to come back.

And one more thing...I am very excited about the upcoming Harry Potter movie and book!! Yes I am a dork, and yes I am going to the midnight showing this Tuesday although I will have to be at work at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

Stay tuned for my upcoming post "A Typical Day in the life of Maria". Abby and I devised this plan to show why we don't blog as much anymore.