16

43 days..

'ello there,

So I figure I will start my posts with a number from now on - before my hello's - and it will signify how many days until my MOVE date.

I suppose I should post my youtube link here for anyone that wishes to watch the two videos that I've posted about my "move" from Michigan to Louisiana. I have tons of questions and hope for any advice anyone can give me about what the differences may be. For example: last night I was playing with my dog and - as usual - praying to God that he would live through the relocation to a different climate. He's especially old and adopted and he follows me everywhere I go. I am worried he might take the move hard, even if I am with him. But I was thinking about how I heard someone say there are scorpions there as well as the spiders and alligators that are big. I don't know how common it is to find scorpions in Lake Charles wandering about or alligators for that matter. Does anyone know whether I should be keeping an eye on him constantly? Or is this something that isn't common? Ahh, I feel so ignorant. I've done so much research for myself, but now my dog has me worried. I bought him a chain for the yard as I expect to be outside a lot working and he won't be used to anything besides me for a while - I want to keep him close.

Here's my YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv7kTfGx4pcoi3h1XKlm1kQ

It's not the greatest quality, but I plan to record when new things happen or when I come up with questions.

I am still sick and it's starting to really anger me. It's been a week and a half now that I've been sick. I don't have a sore throat or anything, but my nose still gets congested a lot and I have a horrible hacking cough that gets really bad when I go outside. Hopefully it will abate soon..

On Monday I used my 50% off coupon at Value World (thrift store) here in Ann Arbor and I bought:
2 Pairs of jeans, 2 shorts, and 2 books for only $9.00! Awesome. Except one pair of shorts don't fit. But still, it's better than paying 18 bucks for used stuff. The pants are great. They are dark wash and have that fancy look. I have been wanting a dark pair of jeans for a while now and I finally have them! I'm wearing them now, yes.

Most likely today I will be going through more stuff to donate to the salvation army and probably taking pictures of my white loveseat and chair to sell on craigslist...I really don't want to sell them because they are so adorable and the chair is so comfy but I could use the money and don't know if they will be sitting in that room for a while or not. Hopefully I can sell them for $150-200 together. I bought them for $100 together, so making money would be nice, as they are practically brand new.

I will link up my instagram account for the last week.
I hope you all had a safe St. Patrick's Day celebration - it was Sunday and I was sickly so I just stayed home and cuddled my Jellybean baby.

Sitting at work thinking about moving - can't you see the sadness ;)

When I am sick ... I read entirely much more than I do while not sick - which is definitely saying something - so I decided to re-read Beth Pattillo's Jane Austen Ruined My Life, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, and of course, The Dashwood Sisters Tell All! I love these three and any fan of Austen or Austen era movies/books will also. They are about secret letters, hidden diaries, and fictional possible loves that Jane may have had that no one except her sister Cassandra knew about. I love these books and because of them Beth is one of my favorite authors. I hope to meet her one day so that she may sign them and I also hope she has a few more books to come our way ;)

My best friend is having her son in the next week - she's 38 weeks now and she looks about as big as someone that is around 28-30 weeks pregnant...this doesn't do her size justice. She fits into size 6/7 pants and this picture makes her look like she's full term but I assure you, she is teeny. Maybe it's her boobies :) she's a double/triple D and so that should put to account how small her belly is.

Hopefully she has him when I'm not at work - that would be great. I'll guess that she will go into labor on Sunday, March 24 and have him then. I don't know why I guess that, I just have a feeling. We shall see. I can't wait to hold him and see him. I love love love newborns - it's their two year old demon sisters that I can't tolerate hehe ;) I love my niece.


I was going through my smash book that I am working on (scrapbook) and as an avid reader I have about four pages -i think- dedicated to books/reading. I have this little pocket with a picture of Libba Bray, Cate Tiernan, and Louise Rennison in it. I took a picture of Libba and Cate as I know they are friends and posted it to twitter (not sure if they saw it) but I just love the two of them and their books.

I actually just received an email response from Libba that I wrote her on Valentine's Day. It's been a few weeks but I am SO excited that she wrote me back. My favorite authors mean absolutely the world to me, they are the reason that I am who I am. The books they wrote helped me through a lot of younger turmoil and still do. Knowing that they care enough to respond to their fans really makes my day.
Promtly I printed that email and plan to put it in my notebook with the other print off replies I have had on Facebook with Cate Tiernan and also the 'Happy Birthday' from Beth Pattillo (so nice). I have about ten print off's so far and they always make me so giddy. I will have to re-read Libba's Gemma Doyle series soon as I haven't in a while. But first, as I am moving to Louisiana, I must indulge once more, into Thais and Clio's world that Cate Tiernan produced based in New Orleans (my whole reason for going there and falling in love with the state in the first place).

On Saturday I planned on going to my friend Kristen's house for her husband's 25th birthday party. I'd never met him or his friends and we planned to go to a bar, but soon we decided after pre-gaming at home, that we should just stay there. While her husband and his best friend got thoroughly drunk, I had a blast. It wasn't anything different than any other hang out/drinking party, just less people. The only thing is that I had to stay the night - because I drank and also because I would have gotten myself lost driving home as it was an hour and a half drive there and I had never been in that city before (except for a TLC concert in 97). So it was nice to spend the night but I missed my dog Jellybean so so SO much. I felt like a mother that needed her child. So I left before 11am and raced home to see him. He missed me and jumped all over me licking my hands and face and then we both snuggled down in bed and napped on and off all Sunday. It was nice.


While I was at Kristen's, I opened her fridge and saw an egg kind of hanging out of the holder because it didn't fit and I told her she should draw a "suicide egg" face on him and she did. Her husband had a bit of a laugh at it and so did I! He's so cute.

And lastly, I took this when Jelly fell asleep next to me - sitting up of course - we had a great Sunday lazing about. Hopefully his mama can feel better soon. I was hoping I'd be better by Wednesday - too late, it is Wednesday.

Happy first day of SPRING y'all! It's cold and only in the upper 20s°F (-4°C) so it's really really cold and feeling like a normal first Spring day in Michigan. Everyone always jokes that the "Last day of winter in Michigan is 60° and the first day of spring is 20°" because our weather is so unpredictable and randomly gets super warm when it should be cold or vice versa. Hopefully the snow flurries and ice rain will stop and the sun can start to warm us up. Soon enough, Louisiana will keep me wishing I were in the cold ;) and I cannot wait!

So my mother has told me that she's going to be in Vegas May 5-10 and I am leaving to move on May 2, so my mom can't drive down with me now. Hopefully my friend Linda is able to, so that I have someone to direct me and talk to and sing with, and especially get lost with (I know I will freak out). I need someone with me and the flight back is only around $123 for a one way which is super cheap and will be great for a vacation from this cold.

That's all I have for today, will update soon hopefully.

xoAmanda