Leprechaun in a tree

My friend Lindsay came up to Lafayette last weekend to visit. She hadn't seen my house, so I gave her a tour, then we went out to eat and ended up taking a walk on campus. While on the walk, I looked up and saw a leprechaun* in a tree. I immediately started laughing, thinking the youtube video. But Lindsay hadn't ever seen it, so I recommended it to her.

So if you are like Lindsay and haven't seen it, go here. This is some hard hitting news.


*The leprechaun I saw was not a real leprechaun, but one made out of plastic. Still.

2nd Friday in 2 days

Yesterday I was going about my work, thinking, "I can't wait for 5:00. Weekend time!" Except that it was Thursday. So it wouldn't be the weekend. This happened several times during the day, the most disappointing of which was when a co-worker told me he might be in a little late tomorrow. My thought process upon hearing that went something like this: "....?? But tomorrow is Satur...Ack! It's still Thursday!!!"

Thank goodness, today is actually Friday. So tomorrow I get to sleep in and make waffles in the morning. Mmm, waffles.

Plus I got tax refund, so I'm going shopping tomorrow for a lawn mower (because my grass is getting kinda long) and a grill (because I'll totally use it every once in a long while).

Easter

I can't wait for Easter. Mostly because I can't wait for Lent to be over. Hurry, week. Hurry!!

How fun!

I was driving the other day, and I noticed my mileage.







So then I drove a little bit more....






And then I ran into a tree because I was trying to take pictures while driving.

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it

I've been pretty busy lately with my new house. So far it's going really well. I'm nearly out of my apartment. I just need to stop by and clean it and have Sam help me take my couch to the dumpster. And then I can turn my keys in... Kinda sad to be leaving the Lahr. I liked it there. But, I really enjoy my house and am happy with my purchase.

And though my house is still a disaster with all of my junk all over the place, it's getting a little more organized everyday. I've needed to purchase a bunch of things, some small and some large. The house came with most of my appliances, but not a refrigerator or a washer and dryer. So I got a great deal on a used fridge from craigslist. Unfortunately, I had some trouble getting my refrigerator in place. It just fit, but when we tried to push it in place, we realized that my floor sags....and so the fridge was tilted just enough that it wouldn't go. The long term solution was to fix the floor. But I needed a refrigerator stat! So dad make a wooden platform that tilted the other way....which worked, except that he didn't make it long enough, so then the fridge was tilting forward, so we fixed that problem by putting a block of wood right in front. So thankfully, while it still tilts slightly to the side and forward a bit, it fits in place and keeps my food cold. Maybe someday I'll decide to make a project of the floor. But for now....good enough.

And after the refrigerator fiasco, I decided I wanted to buy a new washer & dryer. I was a little nervous buying used, because what if the washer doesn't work, and worse, what if it leaks all over the place? Besides, I'll get a one-year warranty with a new one so if anything does break, they can come out and fix or replace it. So that's what I did. I went shopping with dad last night and ended up spending way more than I was at first meaning to. But they are so sleek and shiny! And the capacity! And they're front loaders! And energy saving!! So I'll save money on my utilities!

I'm really actually surprised by how much I'm not having buyer's remorse, despite the obscene amount of money I spent. Hopefully that won't wear off. But even better, and to help me stave off buyer's remorse completely, I get to look forward to a tax credit for first time homebuyers. Originally I thought I wouldn't get it till 2010, but I actually can get it this year. Rocks my socks off!

Now I can stimulate the economy a bit more and buy a new laptop!!

That shstuff really works!

I moved into my new house this last Saturday, which was super exciting but exhausting. However, my apartment lease isn't up until the end of March, so I still have a bunch of junk at my apartment that I'm slowly moving.

So come Sunday, I have 2 or 3 boxes of food, etc, that I want to move, but honestly, my arms are really tired and sore and I just don't want to lift them. So I enlist my younger brother Jimmy to help out. After carrying a couple loads down the long, long, really long hallway to the elevator, Jimmy comes back to my apartment and waits for me to finish putting together the box I was working on. So while waiting, he grabs my keys and starts messing around with my keychain flashlight. Only it isn't a flashlight. It's pepper spray. Which he sprays. Luckily not at himself, but we are definitely indoors. However, it's across the room, so I figure it will be ok. I only think that for about 30 seconds, though, before the spray floats over to the kitchen. Suddenly, I can't breathe, so Jimmy and I start coughing and run out of my apartment.

Once we're in the hallway and can breathe again, we decide that maybe we should be done with moving for the day. However, I have left my purse with my car keys, plus a suitcase all ready to go. So Jimmy and I make a plan. We're going to run back in while holding our breath. He's going to grab the suitcase while I get the lights, my purse and my keys. Jimmy holds up his end of the bargain, but I have a little trouble. I'm forced to inhale so I can yell, "Where are my keys!! I can't find my keys!!" Jimmy, luckily has better recall than I do - probably because he was the one messing with the keys in the first place - and tells me that they are on the couch. So I grab them and my purse, get the lights, and we're out of there.

Anyway, moral of the story: Pepper spray is nasty, nasty stuff and quite potent. Jimmy summed it up best by saying, "I'm definitely never going to steal a woman's purse."

Tresea

...?? Seriously, that's how you think I spell my name? I mean, yes, sometimes I do speak my name really fast and squash my name from 3 syllables to 2, and so I get junk mail for Tracy Knowles, but at least that's a usual, run of the mill type name. But "Tresea"?? Did you go to I-can't-spell-names-school? Especially names that are common in nearly every country? Because while I always thought "Theresa" (or Teresa or Therese) was more French or Spanish (St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Teresa of Avila, respectively), apparently it's also a good, Irish name (according to my Irish roommate's mother).

Anyway, the point is, what are you on, crack? I even just signed my name for you at the end of that email. And I sure didn't spell it like that.