D has a B-day

Dylan’s birthday is coming up and I’m trying to think of what to do about that. Not much I can do about it, but a lot I could do for it. I’m going to bake a cake, I already told him I would, and I will. We have a kitchen, we have a pan, I have no excuse not to.
Then I feel like I should get him a present too. Nothing too big or fancy, with all the new stuff we had to buy while setting the new apartment up, and with me not having a job yet, it’s not exactly in our budget to go crazy with the b-day gifts. But our neighbour just flashed his new money clip/card holder the other day, showing it off like it was the coolest invention since the locomotive, and Dylan acted like it was too. He hates carrying his wallet and always just has loose coins, cards and bills in his pockets. So for now that’s what I’m thinking I’ll get him, and maybe a new shirt or something.

The whole getting each other presents thing went downhill pretty fast for us. The first year we were dating Dylan got me a head lamp, rain gear and other stuff that made me feel like he was getting me equipped to be his girlfriend. For my 26th I got a pineapple (but we were in Thailand and he did propose later that night) and it’s not like I’ve been getting him diamonds and sports cars either. And now that we have a joined account I know I can’t spend too much on his present even if I wanted to, because he’d know and think it was stupid to spend that much on a gift.

So, money clip and a shirt or two from the thrift store, how does that sound? It sounds very likely to me. Oh, and a cake, can’t forget about the cake. Maybe I should get candles too.

no sushi to be found

Little miss Daisy just got a bath. She was not a fan of that procedure, but she came in stinking so bad we had to. I think she must have crawled up a car engine or something, who knows. Now she's walking around shaking her legs, smelling like soap and looking like a drenched rat.

The weekend has been fun but intense. Our new friends Jake and Bobby are definitly party animals I can't keep up with. Really nice, really cool guys, but they party in a different league. Jake spend the night in our chair with Daisy wraped around his head. Right after he announced he hated cats.

Pocatello has a lot of bars, a lot of Dollar stores, a lot of Mexican restaurants, a lot of Chinese restaurants and a lot of diners. But I don't think there is any place to get sushi. That sucks, I would love some sushi today.

muffins and cats

I finally made those muffins today that I’ve been talking about ever since I registered for a muffin pan at Target last summer. Excited as I was, I went all out right away; blueberry, flaxseed, whole wheat and raisins. They would have turned out good too, I really think, had I known that there is a difference between baking soda and baking powder.

Now, take a moment before you call me an idiot, after I translated both these ingredients to Swedish (and wished I had done that before popping the pan in the oven) I realized what they were and that what I thought was baking powder was in fact baking soda. Oh well, my muffins turned out a little flat and sad looking, but tasted good still. Dylan ate two, and not to make me feel better either, before I had even told him they we defect.

I also brought some over to our neighbour lady, I can’t remember her name ever, but she’s like an old artist type hippie who has a about a million cats running around and at least one dog who howls like a siren most days. She says he’s grieving the loss of a friend. Anyways, she told me today that the man living behind us, across the alley, sometimes catches cats and kills them. That kind of scared me, but as she continued her story, telling me that he did it one time when she was foster caring for 15 something stray cats…most of which would not come close to humans or be friendly in any way…I kind of felt like he would probably tell the story differently. Either way, she is a nice lady and our Daisy spends most of her time outside in her yard since she has all her friends there. But she is definitely a crazy cat lady.

knock knock - who was there?

Something pretty scary happened last night. At least I thought so.

After dinner me and Dylan went over to our neighbor's house. They were having a little BBQ out back and some beers. But since it was kind of chilly out and I wasn't drinking, I had very little patience with the one neighbor's love of talking only about himself and calling everybody either bitch or fool. So at like 10 I went home. I left the door unlocked since I didn't know if D had keys or not and it's not like we live in the ghetto.
Then I woke up at like 1 am from the sound of the door opening, I know I wasn't imagining it because the cat ran out to see who it was too. But assuming it was D I just laid in bed half asleep expecting him to come in and start brushing his teeth and all that normal stuff. But instead I just heard some footsteps in the living room and then the door was shut again. I got out there, the cat sitting in from of the door looking like "who was that?" and man do I wish she could talk!

But he/she/it, who ever it was, was gone. I called D who didn't pick up, texted him too, but no answer. So I locked the door and went back to bed, obviously unable to fall asleep. Half an hour later D comes home and has to knock on the windows for me to let him in. He said it wasn't him who had been there earlier (I had told myself that maybe they'd decided to go to the bars and he had just come back for his wallet or something...) so it remains a mystery. But from now on I am locking the door.

not cool

I am so over summer. Let there be fall already, I'm done with the sweating and the sun screen and the flip flops and the shorts. Done. I want fall and windbreakers and long pants and socks and scarfs. I so wish I could jump in a lake right now to cool off. Maybe I'll have to convince Dylan that's what he wants too...he's home taking a nap right now while I'm using the internet at the library.

Last night we had a BBQ with our neighbours Nate and Chris in their backyard and then went out and about Pocatello's nightlife. It was a pretty fun night that ended pretty late. Today all I want to do is swim. But the oasis is far from our desert camp.

Who said nothing happens in Pocatello? TV is here!

So far Pocatello is hot, weather wise, but pretty cold job wise. Today we drove out to Blackfoot and went swimming to cool off, which was nice, but I wish there was a closer place to go swimming.

Job wise I am really hoping I get that job for the university, but I have no idea how good my chances are and when they will start actually calling for interviews and stuff. So I am looking for other stuff too, but there could definitely be more jobs to apply for…they’re few and far between.

The Swedish girl has not contacted me yet, Dylan looked her up on the ISU web site but I don’t want to seem too eager and insane so I will give her at least a week or two before I contact her.

Just saw on the local news that Extreme Home Makeover is happening right now, right here in Pocatello. On 8th street. I feel like walking over there to sneak a peak.

I'm going to beat her down and make her my friend..moahaha

Here's what's cool; there's a Swedish exchange student arriving to Pocatello from Umea University tonight. I went to the IPO and asked and they told me. Her name is Linnea and she has no choice (given that she's cool) we are going to be friends! So I'm excited about that, I don't care that she probably went abroad in the first place to meet foreign people and experience a new culture and all that jazz and not just hang out with someone from her old city....I can be her guide in the jungle of Wal Mart's, Starbucks, over sized everything and the Idahoan mentality. Or something.

I have also applied for a couple of jobs, one that I really really want....and I'm trying not to get my hopes up but they are way up.

The new apartment is pretty cool, not huge in anyway but big enough and now pretty much all decorated and livable. So...so far so good I suppose.

I need a swim

Why is it that when you’re hung over and hungry anything you eat will make you feel like you should have eaten anything but just that. Or is that just me?

Last night out at Curley’s was fun but after parties always seem like way better ideas in the parking lot then when you wake up the next morning. I’m hung over. But while Dylan is napping I think I’m going to go jump in the lake. Then we should hopefully both be ready for our anniversary dinner at Scratch tonight.

I got my new running shoes in the mail today, way excited! Not running today but tomorrow I’ll have to take them out for a test run. I really want to do that half marathon in November so I better start working towards it…

Focus on fun

My second to last day at work today. Yay! Kayla is getting a puppy and bringing it back here on Sunday. Yay! Dylan’s 10 year reunion and our anniversary are both this weekend. Yay! We got a new bed, a chair and a book case yesterday. Yay!
Is this getting annoying? Probably, Yay!

Well, to tone all the excitement down I have a feeling that once the fun weekend is over, packing and cleaning and getting ready to go is going to get hectic. And as excited as I am to be done working at the restaurant, I can’t help to worry about getting a job in Pocatello.

But for right now I’m sticking my head in the sand on that one and trying to focus on the fun stuff. Worries always catch up anyways.

I vote for green trees and more bikes

I got the election information and voting card and stuff in the mail today. The Swedish elections are this fall. I really don’t plan on living in Sweden within the next four years but still feel like it’s my duty and responsibility as a citizen and a believer in the democratic system (and all that blah blah..) to vote. So I guess now I’ll have to do some research and find out what I want to vote for. I’ll probably end up doing one of those “what party should you vote for” polls on facebook. And then a different one on a different website, cause you know you always want to independent sources…and call it good. I feel like bad adult.

Today I told a customer who got mad because we don’t serve waffles, French toast or pancakes that he should just go to IHOP instead. I kind of enjoy working my last week not giving a damn about what people think.

Got to experience and enjoy Art on the Green for the first time yesterday. Not unlike any other street fair or market place I’ve seen, but fun still. I like strolling around looking at the knickknack and craftsy stuff and overpriced food items and handmade jewellery and all that. First me and Dylan did Sherman Avenue and down to the park. We made pretty good time, less than 20 minutes and hardly stopped to look at anything. Dylan was exhausted and done with people and art. Not me, but I was lucky enough to meet up with Allicia, a girl from work, and walked with her over to NIC and looked at the stuff they had over there and then all the way back down Sherman again and looked at all the stuff I raced passed before. Didn’t buy anything but food, although I was really tempted by some porch ornaments, since we’re moving and I don’t know what our place is going to look like yet.

I really felt like doing something fun last night, until around 7 when I got super tired and fell asleep on the couch. I don’t nap, it’s just not something I do. It throws my whole day off and makes me feel icky and jet lagged and confused and so I just don’t like to do it. But yesterday morning I was woken up at 6 am by Dylan who wanted me to go jump in the lake with him and Paul. And that’s probably why tiredness hit me at 7 pm… so we just stayed in and watched SNL. Not too bad. Cheap Saturday.