Renée's Journal
[Recent Entries][Archive][Friends][User Info]
Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "krachick19" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
|
08:11 pm
[Link] |
It's been a while
So, the last time I updated my blog was over a month ago. As I've said before, I'm not very good at this. And I guess I haven't really had anything worthwhile to write about. So here's a quick update. Last week was Thanksgiving. I wasn't really looking forward to it since I had to work. I had actually volunteered to work because my sister and her husband cancelled their plans to fly out from Chicago, so it was only going to be my parents, Hung and I. Don't get me wrong, I love them all, but I figured if I could let someone else have the day off to enjoy Thanksgiving with their family since mine didn't have anything big planned, I would. It wasn't that bad. I went in arond 1 and was done by 6. We could have actually had Thanksgiving dinner that night, but since I didn't know when I'd get out of work, we planned to have it Saturday night instead, when I didn't have to work. It was nice. My mom cooked a turkey dinner, which I thoroughly enjoyed because I can't even remember the last time I've had a home-cooked meal. I made pumpkin swirl cheesecake for dessert, which was delicious. I didn't burn the crust this time. I didn't get to see my family for Thanksgiving, but I'll see them in a couple of weeks when I fly to Chicago with Hung and my parents for my niece's first birthday. I can't believe she's already a year old. I remember being there last year on the day she was born, and seeing her in the hospital. I had never seen a baby that little before. She's a lot bigger now, but also a lot cuter. It's amazing how quickly a year goes by. And speaking of things going by quickly, I have until I leave on Dec. 14 to buy gifts for everyone! And I have no idea what to get anyone. Christmas was so much more fun and less stressful when I was little.
Current Mood:  bored
|
|
03:51 pm
[Link] |
Some things in life ARE free
Who says nothing in life is free? Not true. I've been on a roll getting freebies this week.
On Monday, Columbus Day, Hung and I went to the movies to see "Good Luck Chuck." Neither of us were dying to see it, but we couldn't think of anything else to do - you know, aside from all the usual Columbus Day traditions people take part in :-P When we got to the box office and asked for our tickets, the guy told us that showing had been cancelled to make room for yet another showing of "The Game Plan." I'm sorry, but any movie starring "The Rock" does not need 5 screens devoted to it. The bright side was that we could see any other movie for free! Even better, since we didn't really care what movie we saw anyway. So we went to see "The Heartbreak Kid" instead, which I surprisingly enjoyed. I thought it might be too raunchy, and yes, there was some raunchiness - what else can you expect from a Farrelly Brothers movie? But it was funny. And best of all, it was FREE!
Then, last night, I went out for some drinks with people at work. Halfway through my glass of white zinfandel, I noticed a fruit fly doing the back float in my wine. He was either dead or drunk, but either way, I didn't want him in there. So I called the bartender over and showed him. He felt really badly, even though it clearly wasn't his fault the bug had flown into my drink. But he told me the glass was on him, and poured me a whole new glass. So thanks to that little bugger, I got a glass and a half for FREE! Now I know how to get free drinks :-P
So the lesson is: When something goes wrong, make sure you at least get something free out of it.
Tonight Hung and I are going out for dinner. Maybe the server will drop my food on my lap and I'll get if for FREE! Although, I'm not sure that would be worth. I happen to like the jeans I'm wearing.
Current Mood:  amused
|
|
02:36 pm
[Link] |
Not according to plans
I was really looking forward to last Saturday. I hadn't seen Hung for 5 days, and we were planning to go to Providence for dinner and to see Pilobolus at the Providence Performing Arts Center: http://www.pilobolus.com/. I had high hopes for a wonderful evening, but it got off to a bad start.
We had planned to go to Fire and Ice for dinner. I had been looking forward to going there all week, so I was really disappointed when we got there and found out it would be an hour wait. It was already after 6 and the show started at 8. It hadn't occured to either one of us that it was a Saturday night and would obviously be crowded. And on top of that, Water Fire was that night, so there were even more people there than usual. And it didn't help that we had already wasted about 20 minutes just trying to find a parking place at the mall. So we decided to just head over to PPAC and find someplace to eat near there.
We picked up our tickets at the box office and then walked around in search of a good restaurant. You'd think one wouldn't be hard to find in the theater district. In Boston's theater district, there's a restaurant around every corner. But this was Providence, and if there were any good places to eat in the area, we didn't come across any of them. By this point we were wasting time walking in circles. Neither of us had eaten much all day, we were hungry, irritated and would have eaten just about anything.
We finally came across a restaurant that looked promising. It was called Tazza and they had food - about my only requirement at that point. Although I soon found out it would have been nice if they had more than one server working. Both Hung and I ordered salads and drinks. The salads didn't take too long to come out, but mine was wrong. It was supposed to have tuna on it. I was hungry, and I needed more than a bowl of lettuce. The server said it would be right out, but I didn't get it until about a half hour later, after Hung had to remind the server several times. Then Hung had to go up the the bar to get our drinks because we never got them. Luckily I got comped for my salad, but it didn't really make up for the nice dinner I had been hoping for all week.
After that, things started to pick up. We walked over to PPAC, where an amazing band was playing outside. They were unlike anything Hung or I had ever heard or seen before. Hung googled them to find out who they were, because they were just so awesome: http://www.whatcheerbrigade.com/. After that we made our way into the theater and Hung bought us some drinks ... which we really needed at the point. And it helped. While we were standing in the lobby, the band made it's way inside and put on another show. Everyone was really getting into it, including me. They were so entertaining and really lifted my mood.
Then we saw the show. It was okay. The dancers were really amazing - how much control they have over their bodies and the fluidity of their movements. They can throw a person into the air effortlessly and it looks like their just floating. But it didn't hold my interest long enough, and by the end I was getting bored. I would have preferred to watch the band all night if I could have.
So, what started out as a bad night turned into a pretty decent night. I'm still disappointed I didn't get to eat at Fire and Ice, but Hung said we can go there some other time soon, most likely on a week night.
|
|
04:55 pm
[Link] |
Fall is here!
I love fall. It is possibly my favorite season. It comes at a time when you're sick of summer and the heat and humidty. The trees are beautiful and the weather is perfect - not too hot, not too cold. There are lots of fun things to do, like go to fairs and orchards, and lots of delicious things to eat, like anything made from apples and pumpkins (pumpkin pie is my favorite!) Plus, you have an excuse to buy new clothes when the weather gets cooler and all the stores come out with their new fall lines. And there's nothing nicer than being at home on a cool autumn night, cuddled under a blanket with a candle burning and sipping hot tea. Maybe that makes me a dork - or old - but I can't think of anything nicer.
This might sound strange, but I only realized this year how much I love fall. I always thought summer was my favorite season, but I think this summer was just a little too hot and humid for me. And it occurred to me that another reason I like fall so much more now is because it doesn't mean I have to go back to school. Of course when you're in school, you never want the summer to end, but now that I'm out of school, there's no longer that dread of September's arrival. I like being a grown up :-)
The official start of fall was last Sunday. I had the day off, and I really wanted to enjoy the weather. I looked in the newspaper to see what events there were - since just about every organization holds their annual fundraisers at this time of year - and I saw that the Holliston Historical Society was holding its annual crafts/antiques fair. So Hung and I took a ride to Holliston to check it out and browse around. It was nice. We were probably two of the youngest people there, but I enjoyed being out in the fresh air and talking to the crafters about there art. I ended up buying some homemade blueberry jam from a little girl because she gave me a free sample, and I couldn't say no after that (her mother had made it, by the way, and it was delicious).
After that, we were at a loss of what to do. I remembered that I had also read in the paper that the Blackstone Community Concert Band was playing a concert at Riverbend Farm in Uxbridge, so we decided to check it out. There were quite a lot of people there. We sat and watched the concert for a little while, and were most entertained by the adorable little girl dancing around and playing with rocks near us. Then we took a walk down the path along the river, and I got to take some really nice photos. It was such a beautiful day.
That night we had dinner with my parents (can't remember the last time I did that), and had pumpkin pie in celebration of Hung's birthday, which was the Friday before. My parents had just gotten back from Orlando on Saturday, so they wanted to do something for him.
Tonight, in a few hours, Hung and I are headed to Providence to see Pilobolus at PPAC http://ppac.org/show_database/pilobolus/pilobolus.cfm We got an e-mail about it a few days ago and thought it would be something fun and different to do. I don't really know what the show will be like, but I've heard it sells out every year, so it's got to be pretty good. First we're going to Fire & Ice for dinner. We went last Friday for his birthday with a group of friends, and I really liked it and wanted to go back. So much yummy food to try!
Gotta go. Hung will be her soon!
Current Mood:  refreshed
|
|
10:31 am
[Link] |
Good friends, good food
I had an an amazing weekend, one of the best I've had in a long time. First of all, I had both Saturday and Sunday off, something that almost never happens. And second, I got to see people who I haven't seen for a while, including Hung, who I hadn't seen since last Saturday.
Saturday afternoon, I drove up to Worcester to visit my friends Erin and Liz in their new apartment. I ended up staying 3 hours just sitting there talking with them because we had a lot to catch up on. They're two of the nicest, funniest people I know and we had a lot of fun hanging out together - almost like the old days in college.
That night, Hung and I went out for sushi, because we hadn't been for a while and I had a craving for it. Then we rented a movie and watched it at my house. My parents are in Disney World for the week, so it was really nice just being the two of us there - something else that never happens. We watched "Disturbia," which was pretty good, although I was hoping the ending had more of a twist to it.
Sunday was nice, too. I got to see Hung again, which is nice in itself. It was a beautiful day, so we went to North Attleboro to browse around the stores. We ended up at our usual spot, Target, where I bought yet more clothing (I've been on a spending spree the past couple of weeks now that the weather is changing). We ended up at the Wrentham outlets just to walk around.
We decided to go out to dinner again that night, but the tough part was deciding where to go. We're both so sick of all the chain restaurants - Applebee's, Uno's, Ruby Tuesday's - and were hoping to try someplace different, but not too expensive. We were stumped, so we decided to just drive straight and see what we came upon. We've done this before, which usually endus up with us in the middle of nowhere and having to turn around, but this time we got really lucky. We ended up in Norfolk at this restaurant called the Horse N' Carriage. The parking lot was full, which we took as a good sign, so we figured we'd go in, check out a menu and see if we wanted to eat there. The menu looked good, and the prices were reasonable, so we made our decision. We were pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere was nice and cozy, the wait staff was friendly and the food was delicious. I had a salmon salad. The salmon was cooked just right - not too dry and very flavorful. Hung had baked stuffed schrod, which he also enjoyed. We finished off the meal with coffee and tea and a plate of bread pudding, which was also delicious and impossible to finish. We were so excited to have found a new restaurant that we really liked and are planning to go back again. For anyone in the area, I definitely recommend it: http://www.diningquest.com/?id=1233&page=client
That night, Hung had to work on a project for school, so we parted ways and I went home to the peace and quiet of a house all to myself. It was practically a perfect day
Current Mood:  happy
|
|
01:41 pm
[Link] |
Here comes the bride
I finally did it! After insistent nagging and pressure from some of my peers that I was "running out of time" and better get my butt in gear, I finally bought my wedding dress ... last Friday, actually. You'd think I would have written about it sooner, being so excited and all, but as I've mentioned before, I'm bad at this blog thing.
Last Friday, my mom and I went to David's Bridal in Attleboro to look at dresses. We had gone to another bridal shop the week before, where I saw a dress I loved. But we didn't want to rule out David's Bridal just yet, and thought I should at least check it out. Good thing. That's where I bought my dress. Well, my mom bought it as a gift, but I picked it out.
I went in, and the woman who worked there - who was SUPER sweet - gave me a catalog of gowns and told me to pick out my three favorites to start with. Well, it was almost impossible to pick just three gowns I liked, but I manged to narrow it down to four. I tried on those and a few other gowns. Each one looked gorgeous and fit perfectly, so it was hard to choose. I was expecting there to be just one that looked nice, but I liked them all and they were all different.
Then I tried on the very first dress I had picked out, and as soon as I looked in the mirror, my face lit up and I got all giddy and giggly like a school girl. The women at the shop said they could tell just by the look on my face, and how my eyes "sparkled," that it was the dress. It was beautiful. I got to parade around the store and look in the mirrors, and I felt like a princess. I had found my wedding dress.
Aside from it being absolutely gorgeous, it doesn't need any alterations, aside from a bustle, because it fits perfectly. My mom also bought my veil because it wasn't too expensive.
I am so excited! I already showed my family and my best friends, but everyone else will have to wait until the big day to see it :-)
Current Mood:  excited
|
|
03:03 pm
[Link] |
The trail less traveled
Sunday was a busy day. I didn't have to work, so I spent the entire day with Hung. We went to Purgatory Chasm in Sutton, MA, to do some hiking. We're not really the hiking type, but we had been there once before last year and wanted to go back. Plus, it was a gorgeous day and way to nice to spend inside.
We decided to follow one of the trails, but when we came to a fork we thought it would be fun to explore the less-traveled path to see where it led (the fact that it wasn't on the map should have tipped us off, but it didn't). As we kept walking, the trail got narrower and there were more spiderwebs and plants on it. I had horrible flashes of me waking up the next morning with my body covered in a horrible rash. I've had poison sumac before - on my face of all places - and it wasn't pretty. Finally, we heard cars and realized we had walked all the way to Rt. 146 in Northbridge. No wonder nobody else had gone that way. Just us idiots. I guess that's why we don't go hiking. We ended up backtracking all the way to the original trail, where we finally made our way out climbing through the chasm.
Afterwards, when we were all hot and sweaty and feeling kind of gross, we decided to go the Blackstone Valley Shoppes. We browsed in some stores and I bought some really nice shoes at Famous Footwear. Hung bought a the game Karaoke Revolution at Game Stop because he's been wanting to for a while.
Then we went to Hung's house and had spring rolls for dinner, my favorite. Afterwards we tried out the karaoke game. Hung made me play because I didn't want to (I think I'm an awful singer, even though he says I'm not), but after I tried it and did well, I got really into it. It's fun. I even unlocked some new songs and stuff. Video games aren't my thing, so when I find one I'm somewhat decent at, I get excited.
Later we headed to Bellingham to see a movie, but when we pulled up to the theater and saw the line out the door, we didn't feel like waiting and assumed it would be sold out. So instead we went back to my house and watched "Premonition." It was good, but the ending was disappointing. I was waiting for that big "Aha!" moment, like in "The Sixth Sense," but it never came.
And that was my Sunday. Not too shabby.
Current Mood: calm
|
|
02:51 pm
[Link] |
Blue Man Group
Wow, I have really been slacking on updating my blog. I think it's because I've fallen into a routine that doesn't involve being on the computer as much. I wake up kind of late - considering I don't get home from work until after midnight now - work out for about an hour, get ready for the day, run errands, eat and go to work. Exciting, huh?
I did have a very nice past weekend, though. On Saturday, Hung and I went to Boston to see Blue Man Group. We met up with my best friend from college, Erin, and a few of her friends for dinner at Rock Bottom in the theater district, and then we all headed over to the show. Hung and I had been before about 5 years ago, and I was hoping it would be different, but it was almost exactly the same. I guess it never changes. It was still very enjoyable, though. We had excellent seats, front row off to the side in the poncho section - although our ponchos were't necessary since nothing splashed on us. Anyone who has never been should really check it out. It's unlike anything else you'll ever see.
Hung and I had booked a room at the Courtyard Marriott for that night, since we never get away just the two of us and wanted to make a weekend out of it. So it turned out to be a really nice little trip, as short as it was.
I don't have anything fun planned for this weekend, since I have to work on Friday and Saturday, but the following weekend (or the one after, I can't remember), my sister, Dawn, and her husband are coming to visit because they have a wedding to go to in Worcester. They'll only be her for one full day, but hopefully Dawn and I can get out to a few bridal stores to try on dresses. And we're also going to celebrate my mom's birthday that weekend. I'm looking forward to that.
One last thing - today is my best friend Amanda's birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA! She's awesome ;-)
Current Mood:  energetic
|
|
11:49 am
[Link] |
It's been a while
I realize it's been a while since I posted a new blog - about 2 weeks, actually. There are several reasons for that: 1) The computer is upstairs, and the AC is downstairs, so at an attempt to stay cool during this hot spell, I've been avoiding going online. 2) After the new Harry Potter book came out, I spent any free time I had reading it (I finished it in a week, which, from what I understand, is a long time compared to people I know who read it in 2 days). 3) I've been working later and going to bed around 2 AM most nights, which means I wake up later and have less time during the day to do things, such as write in my blog. And 4) I've just been lazy when it comes to updating.
Now that I've explained that, here's what I've been up to:
Last time I wrote, I had just ordered my wedding band. Well, it has since come in and I picked it up last week. It is beautiful! And it fits perfectly. Yea! One more thing out of the way.
Hung found out yesterday that he got a new job. Congrats to him! I'm so proud of my hubby :-) He will be director of marketing for a nonprofit organization called "Shape Up R.I.," which encourages people to be health conscious (I don't quite know all the details about the company, yet, but I'm sure I'll find out.) He'll be working in Providence, so it seems there's a good chance we'll be moving to R.I. within the next year, since I also work there. I don't know how I feel about leaving Mass., but I'll deal with it if I have to.
Not much else, except it seems I've been working more and seeing less of Hung - or anyone else for that matter. It sucks during the week, but it makes us appreciate our time together even more. Tonight we're going out to dinner to celebrate his new job.
I'll try to update more often, given I have stuff to update about :-P
|
|
01:11 pm
[Link] |
With this ring...
Last night, Hung and I went to the mall so I could look at wedding bands and try some on (He's already decided he's going to buy his online for a lot less). I had no intention of buying a ring since we still have almost a year left until the wedding, but I thought it would be fun to look around and get ideas.
At the first jewelry store we went to, I tried on a couple of rings that I liked. They were white gold with a channel setting, which is what I had decided I wanted. However, I wanted to look around at other stores since I wasn't planning on buying one that night anyway. As with all big purchases, I thought it would be smart to shop around for a while and weigh my options so I could find the best deal.
Next we went to Zales, where Hung bought my engagement ring. They had some rings very similar to the ones I had tried on at the other store. Then the woman showed me a ring that wasn't like any I had seen before. I tried it on and I loved it! I asked how much it was, and it was within what I wanted to spend. So I looked at the saleswoman and said "I'll get it." I think Hung was shocked. So much for "weighing my options." :-P But in my defense, I think that when you're shopping for something like that and you find the right one, you just know, and I knew that was the ring I wanted. Even if I had looked at other stores, I'm pretty sure I would have gone back and bought that one, so might as well save myself the trouble, right?
Here's my wedding band:
Unfortunately, because my fingers are freakishly skinny, they had to special order it in a size 4, so I won't get it for about 2 months. But it's not like I'd wear it anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter.
I'm so excited! I remember walking by the jewelry stores in the mall so many times and wishing we were one of those couples in there shopping for rings, and now that day has come ... and gone. Hmm, maybe I should have spent some more time looking around :-P
Current Mood: excited
|
|
02:44 pm
[Link] |
Proud to be Slovak
The other night at work, we were talking about ethnicity, and I realize how little I know about mine. I'm half French Canadian, on my mother's side, and half Slovak, on my father's side. There are a lot of French Canadian people around here, but not too many Slovaks, which I realize now makes me kind of unique. My grandfather actually came over to American from Slovakia when he was a teenager with barely nothing to his name.
So I did a quick search on Wikipedia to find out more. (I realize it's sad that I am relying on a Web-based encyclopedia to find out about my heritage, but at the moment it's all I've got) Anyway, I read about the history of Slovakia, how it combined with Moravia and Bohemia to form Czechoslovakia in 1918, and later regained its independence in 1993, after the communist rule came to an end. (And, oh yeah, a whole lot of other stuff happened in between). That was always confusing to me, because when I was in fourth grade and I had to do a school project on what country I was from, my parents told me to do Czechoslovakia, even though they said I wasn't Czechoslovakian, but Slovak. Now I understand that there was no Slovakia in 1990, the year I was in fourth grade.
I also found some interesting stuff about famous Slovaks. Read on:
The most famous Slovak names can indubitably be attributed to invention and technology. Such people include Jozef Murgaš, the inventor of wireless telegraphy; Ján Bahýľ, the inventor of the motor-driven helicopter; Anyos Štefan Jedlík, one of the inventors of the first electric motor; Jozef Maximilián Petzval, inventor of the camera zoom and lens; Jozef Karol Hell, inventor of the industrial water pump; Štefan Banič, inventor of the modern parachute; Aurel Stodola, inventor of the bionic arm and pioneer in thermodynamics; and, more recently, John Dopyera, father of modern acoustic string instruments.
The best known Slovak hero was Juraj Jánošík (the Slovak equivalent of Robin Hood). A prominent Slovak explorer was Móric Beňovský.
Who knew that a Slovak invented the camera zoom and lens AND modern acoustic string instruments, two things my fiance and I use on a regular basis! So you see, us Slovaks are pretty damn cool :-)
Current Mood:  curious
|
|
03:01 pm
[Link] |
You've gotta have friends
This past weekend was all about getting together with my girls
On Saturday, my friend Amanda and I went to check out Funway USA in Foxboro. I was under the impression that it was only a miniature golf course, but they also have go-carts, bumper boats, a rock-climbing wall and some other stuff. Regardless to say we only played miniature golf. I can't really say who won because we let each other cheat a lot. That's what friends are for :-P
Afterwards we went to get some ice cream at Dairy Queen, for old time's sake. Amanda and I both basically grew up at Dairy Queen. It was the place to go every summer with friends, and I used to ride my bike or walk there on a regular basis. We both also worked there for a while in high school and know the family who owns it. However, the prices have gone up a lot since those days, which is why I never go anymore. But it was a nice treat for a special day.
Afterwards, Amanda took me to her aunt's house, which is the house where Amanda grew up. Her aunt recently moved into it and redid the whole thing, adding a huge addition. It's really quite amazing. It was nice to be there again after so long. I used to be in that house almost every day and we had a lot of fun there.
On Sunday, Hung and I drove to Lyme, Conn., to attend my friend Val's wedding. Val was my best friend and roommate in college.
It's kind of funny how we met. We were in the same group during freshman orientation. At the time I had a broken foot and crutches, and Val was one of the people who stayed around me to help me out. We connected because we were both quiet and shy at the time. Apparantly after that, her sister Lindsey said to her "Maybe you'll be good friends with that girl, Renee," and Val responded "I'll probably never see her again." Guess who was right? In college we were pretty much inseperable. Unfortunately now, because she lives so far away and we're both busy, we don't see each other as often as I'd like, but she's still one of my best friends.
Her reception was at the Officers Hall on the campus of the Coast Guard Academy and it was beautiful. I don't know her husband, Chris, too well, but he seems like a really nice guy. Two of my other good friends from college, Sadie and Erin, also went, so all of us had a great time hanging out together. I can never understand why people say they don't like going to weddings - free food, dancing and happy people. Sounds like a good time to me.
This weekend, Erin also bought tickets for Hung and I to see Blue Man group in August with her, her boyfriend Mat and a couple of his friends. I checked the seats out online and they're AWESOME! Right in front of the poncho section. Hung and I think we'll also stay the night in Boston at a nice hotel, since I can't remember the last time we stayed someplace alone together. That should be very nice ;-)
|
|
10:32 am
[Link] |
Sore feet and circus acts
I had a wonderful weekend. On Saturday, Hung and I went into Boston to see Cirque Du Soleil's Delirium at the TD Banknorth Garden. http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/delirium/intro/intro_default.htm
First we met some friends - who were also going to the show - at P.F. Chang's in the Pru for dinner. Then we headed over to the Garden. The original plan was to take the train, but since it was such a beautiful day, everyone thought it would be nicer to walk. I wish I had known this ahead of time, because I was not prepared to walk around Boston. I was wearing sandals which, as I soon found out, are not at all suited for walking distances - and it was quite a long distance. My feet were in so much pain by the time we arrived at the Garden I wanted to collapse, and I now have the biggest blisters I have ever seen. They are really quite disgusting. But that aside ...
The show was amazing. The fact that Hung and I were sitting four rows from the stage made it even more amazing. We could see every performer's facial expression, muscles, even the sweat dripping off of their bodies (as gross as that may sound) - that's how close we were. It was quite an experience.
Luckily after the show, we took the train back.
Monday, Hung and I both had the day off of work, so we went to the Wrentham Outlets. While we were there, we went to Zales and I tried on some wedding bands for the first time. It was pretty exciting. The fact that I'm going to be married by this time next year still doesn't seem real to me. It feels so far away, but it really isn't. This Sunday, Hung and I are going to my friend from college's wedding. It feels like just recently she told me she was engaged, and already she's getting married. That how fast time flies. Just like it's already 1:00 in the morning and I'm still online. I should get to bed!
Current Mood:  tired
|
|
03:38 pm
[Link] |
Fantastic day
Okay, so I know I NEVER update this, but today I felt like it, so I guess it's a rare occasion. I wanted to write about the wonderful day I had on Sunday.
First off, I didn't have to work, which is always a plus. After church, Hung and I went to Guitar Center in Millbury and I bought a guitar!! I still almost can't believe it. It's probably one of the last things I ever thought I'd by up until about a month ago. Now, if only I can learn how to play it :P Hung has been teaching me on the weekends, when we both actually have time off, and I'm slowly progressing. I'm working on one song since I can't play it very well yet, and I'm learning chords. I'm determined, and now that I threw down money on a guitar, I have even more reason to practice :) It's nice having a boyfriend who's a music teacher. Whynot take advantage of it? Oh, and I guess he's good for other things too :)
After I bought my guitar, we went to this miniature golf place we've been wanting to check out for a while. I think it's called Westend Creamery, in Whitinsville. It's really nice, and they have ice cream there too, which is a big plus for me :) We played a round of golf, and I won, although not by much. I even got a hole a in one. After that, we took a leisurly ride around Purgatory Chasm and the area and then headed back to Hung's place for dinner. It was a fantastic day because I got to spend all of it with my sweetie :)
Well, it's almost time to leave for work, so I'd better get going. Hopefully I'll update again this year :)
|
|
12:33 pm
[Link] |
A superb weekend
I can't believe I'm writing in this thing again. It's been over a year! But I had such a nice weekend in Saratoga that I felt I should document it somehow. And even if no one else cares to read it, well then, that's fine with me. At least I know of one person who will ;)
So, Hung and I have been planning a weekend getaway for a while now. With our busy schedules and working opposite hours, we rarely get to spend quality time together. When we do see each other, it's always with other people around and only for a few hours at a time. So I thought it would be really nice to go somewhere for a weekend where we could spend the whole day with each other, and ONLY each other. I didn't even really care where it was, but we settled on Saratoga, NY. We had both heard it was a nice place and it's only 3 hours away, a good distance for a short vacation.
We left Saturday morning, and I was really worried about the weather. They were predicting rain all weekend, and I had been looking forward to this trip for a while and wanted everything to be perfect. As we got closer to New York, the sky got cloudier until it started raining - they were right. But we decided to make the best of it anyway. Our first stop in Saratoga was the automobile museum, something we had seen online. It was pretty cool. Hung really likes cars and the mechanics of them, and I like to look at shiny new things, so it satisfied both our tastes :P And the people that worked there - all older and retired - were really nice to us. We figured they don't get many visitors. After the museum, we checked into our hotel, The Holiday Inn. Lucky for us, we arrived the same day Skidmore College up the road was having its graduation and all the families were staying there, and also a local high school was having its prom there that night, but it wasn't that bad aside from finding a parking spot. That night we ate dinner at this really nice sushi/Thai restaurant. I was excited that I finally got to have sushi again, and the food was delicious. After that, we went downtown to check out the opening of an art exhibit we had read about. It was cool because I don't get to do things like that around here. Plus, they had these really great potato chips there that alone made it worth the visit. From there we stopped in at a little Italian cafe a few doors down that serves gelato of every flavor you can imagine! I had never had gelato before, but now I would eat it every day if I could. It was so good! Possibly the highlight or our trip :P (I think we both dreamed about gelato that night, lol). Much later that night, we went galactic bowling. That was a lot of fun, but it was getting there that was the interesting part. After driving 10 minutes in the wrong direction, and then finding the right street and driving another 10 minutes down it, we finally found it. It was literally 5 seconds away from our hotel. We could have actually rounded the corner and been there. I blame Hung. He said he knew where it was :P
Sunday morning started out sunny, until we were ready to leave the hotel. By that time, it was downpouring :( We had wanted to walk around downtown some more, but we thought indoor activities might be a better choice. Since Saratoga is so famous for horse racing, and practically everywhere you go there you see images of horses (including on flags on peoples houses), we thought it only made sense that we visit the horse racing museum before we left. That was okay. There were some interesting facts I read about, but I'm not really into horses or racing them. I was just happy to be out of the rain. Plus, it happened to be family fun day, so admission was free. Even better! Next we headed to the local mall, which, to our surprise, we realized we had been there before, a couple years ago on our way to Ithaca. I kind of felt guilty traveling three hours for vacation and then spending an afternoon at the mall,which is what we do almost every weekend at home, but we didn't really have a choice because of the weather. It was either that or sit in the hotel room, which we had already done enough of. But it payed off. We both bought new shoes (mine were $45, his were $7.50 - go figure). And, while we were in the mall, the sun came out! By the time we left, it was blue skies outside. So we went back downtown later that night and had dinner at the Circus Cafe. It was actually a mistake that we went there. We had wanted to go to another place, but found out it was closed, and that was the place that was the closest. It was actually a VERY good choice. The decor was charming (bright colors, circus posters, strings of lights) and the food was delious. I had a salad topped with a tasty piece of seared tuna and Hung had the special, Salmon on a bed of rice with tomato basil dressing. Our waitress was also nice, although we couldn't tell whether or not she was trying to hit on Hung. First, when his guitar pick fell out of his wallet, she questioned if he played the guitar (duh!), and then when he gave her his ID, she said "Oh, your a Virgo like me!" Then he decided to buy a T-Shirt, and asked for a small. I said, "are you sure not a medium?" and our waitress said "No, you want it a little snug. That's how the ladies like it." What!? If she was like 50, it would have been sweet, but she was probably younger than us! Anyway, that aside, it was a fantastic dining experience. After, we headed across the street for some more gelato - mmmmmm. Then we went to see "The Da Vinci Code." I've read the book, but Hung hasn't. I thought the book was much better.
On Monday we planned to leave fairly early to get back home to see my family, who was visiting from Chicago. To our delight, it was a beautiful day, despite being on the cool side. We left the hotel around 11 and grabbed brunch at a little cafe downtown called "Uncommon Ground." Like all the other places we had eaten at that weekend, it surpassed our expectations. They had every kind of sandwich, coffee, tea, etc. you could want. Of course, boring me got a plain coffee :P After that, we hit a few more stores on the street since it was nice to walk around, and then drove to Saratoga State Park, where we walked around and took some scenic pictures. Then it was back on the road to head home to Bellingham.
Overall, the weekend was wonderful and I'd do it again soon if I could. This is going to sound cheesy, but I don't think it would have really mattered where we went, because the best part was spending time with Hung (aawwww). Even if we bicker sometimes or get on each others' nerves, I know that at the end of the day, we both love each other just as much, if not more. So, thanks for a superb weekend, Babe :)It was truly worth it.
|
|
11:45 pm
[Link] |
The end of an era...or so I like to think
Well, it's evident that I haven't been updating my LiveJournal on a regular basis anymore. This has much to do with the fact that I now have a job that requires me to do actal work, rather than sit at my desk with hours on end of nothing to do but write long-winded accounts of how I spent my weekend. Since I doubt many people read this to begin with (except for the most important people, of course) I'm sure it will be no disappointment when I say that I am temporarily abandoning my LiveJournal (and, if for some reason it is a great disappoint, feel free to start a petition). Since writing in it basically served as a time filler for me when I was bored, and now I'm rarely bored, it seems that it no longer serves its purpose. Plus, I figure that the people who do read it already know what I've been doing, so why reiterate? However, if I ever do feel the need to write in it, supposing something great and important happens to me or I suddenly have a brilliant revelation, than I'll be sure to update. 'Til then, Krachick19 out!
Current Mood:  busy
|
|
11:59 am
[Link] |
LJ Game
Someone told me I HAD to do this :oP
1. Reply with your name and I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal. You MUST. It is written.
|
|
08:28 pm
[Link] |
And the Countdown Begins
Well, not too much to write about. It's just one of those night where I'm sitting here at work with nothing left to do. At least I was busy for most of the day. My boss has had me copyediting some pages so that I can kind of learn as I go, and as far as I know I haven't done half that bad of a job. I'm getting there.
On Sunday I'm leaving for Chicago...again. I feel like I was just there. Oh wait, I was. However, this will be a very short trip, which makes me wish I wasn't even going. Traveling is such a hassle that it doesn't really seem worth it for only a couple of days. However, it's for my sister Dawn's wedding shower, and since I am the maid of honor, and more importantly her sister, I should be there. Plus, getting to see my nephew - who has learned to crawl since the last time I saw him - is always something to look forward to. So my mom and I are flying out Sunday morning and returning on Tuesday afternoon.
Well, I guess that's about it for now. I still have half an hour to waste before I can leave and swing by Hung's band practice at his friend's grandmother's house. She's so cute. She let's them practice in her basement while she and Jeff's mom (Jeff is Hung's friend) whip up goodies for them upstairs. Then when practice is over, they all go upstairs, sit around the table and eat - last time I was there is was ham salad sandwiches and chocolate cupcakes. Maybe there'll be some leftovers when I get there.
Ciao
Current Mood: bored
|
|
06:42 pm
[Link] |
Working on a Friday night
Latest job update (for anyone who cares):
So, there's still no word on when I will officially get to start my new job, but now I'm more anxious than ever.
Two days this week for about half an hour, Faye, one of the editors, trained me on the copydesk - well, kind of trained me, because I realized I already knew most of the stuff she was showing me how to do, which basically just requires knowing Quark. So she left me a mock page to lay out the next day while I was at work, which I was really excited to get started on. It was my chance to show them that I knew what I was doing.
So yesterday, I laid out an entire page - pictures, stories, headlines, sidebars, the works - just as it would appear in print, and it looked decent, I though. I couldn't wait for Faye to come in so that she could critique my work. I assumed that it wasn't perfect and I had made some mistakes, but I was proud that I hadn't run into any major issues. I felt really comfortable, like I knew what I was doing, and I realized that I'm going to enjoy this job a lot more than my current one. I'll actually get to help DESIGN the paper.
Much to my disappointment however, Faye called and said she wouldn't be in before I left. Bummer. So now I HAD to wait. But that was okay. I left her a note telling her to let me know what I had to improve on.
So when I came in today, I was expecting to find a note from Faye saying either "you did a great job!" or "this is what you did wrong..." But there was nothing. I figured that either meant she didn't have a chance to look at it, or it was so bad that she didn't want to tell me.
However, just a little while ago, as my manager was leaving, he came up to me to let me know that he wanted me to start working on actual pages next week, because Faye told him I was MORE than ready to work on the copydesk. Sweet! So I DO know what I'm doing. But that does bring up one issue: I shouldn't be doing a job that I'm not getting paid for, and if I'm copyediting on an editorial assistant's salary, that's no good. Plus, I don't belong to the union :o/ So, we'll see what happens. But at least they still want me for the position. Now, if only the idiots upstairs could sign off on me being hired and I'll be all set.
That's all for now, I suppose. I haven't done anything worthy of writing about lately, except gotten halfway through reading the fifth Harry Potter book - yes, the fifth one, not the sixth one. I started reading it when it came out two years ago, but, as with many things I start, I never finished it. I have a short attention span, so I can be really interested in something one day and not the next (fortunately, this does not apply to people) That means I tend to leave projects unfinished. However, I'm so determined to get through this book now so I can read the sixth one and know what everyone is talking about. I mean, it seams like a waste to read four of the books and not finish the series. So, I'm getting through it, slowly albeit.
That said, still nothing exciting to write about.
Current Mood: accomplished
|
|
09:29 pm
[Link] |
The Newest Copyeditor at "The Call"
Okay, so I haven't updated for a while, so my deepest apologies to the two people who actually read this. Believe it or not, I've actually had work to do at work *gasp*. That and I also haven't seen any baby-toting mullet men strolling down the streets of Woonsocket lately (go figure). So here's the quick update.
For anyone who doesn't know, I've accepted a position as a copyeditor at the newspaper I work at now, The Call. Two of the copyeditors left, so my editor offered it to me and, after much deliberation, I decided to take it. I will have more responsibilities than I do now, indcluding designing and laying out newspaper pages, proofing and editing stories and writing headlines. I'll get to use programs like Quark and Photoshop that I learned in school (finally, that $100,000 I spent on college is going to some use)and I'll be making a HELL of a lot more money - about $7,000 more a year. It's a huge step up, and I plan to use it to get experience for a better job somewhere down the line, as I don't plan on staying at The Call forever.
So, why did I have to think about it, you ask? Well, despite all of the pros, there is one con: I will be working from 5:30/6:00 to 1 a.m. every day. I wouldn't have a problem with working so late, except for the fact that everyone else I know, including Hung, works 9 to 5, so basically I wouldn't see him or anyone else for weeks at a time (this is where you say "awww") This posed an issue for me, which is why I had to think about. However, after much consideration and hearing the advice of others, I decided that it would be in my best interest to take it, and I'd basically be a fool for passing it up.
(1) The job I have now has become so monotonous and boring to me that I'm ready for something new. Also, there's nowhere for me to move up in my current postion, so if I stay there, I'm stuck there. (2) I can adjust to the hours and lifestyle because it's not permanent. You have to make sacrifices if you're ever going to get what you want, and I think this new job will give me great experience for future jobs. (3) Moving up such a big step in a company looks really good on resumes. (4) I'll get to challenge myself, which I feel is important to grow, and use some of the skills I've learned in school. So as you can see, the pros easily outweigh the con. And, even if I do have to work on a Saturday or Sunday, I'll have all day to spend with Hung or whomever.
So, I started training yesterday, but there's still no word on when "almighty corporate" (the people with the big offices on the third floor) will give the go ahead to add my to the payroll as a copyeditor. Hopefully sooner than later, especially since they are currently down two copyeditors.
So, this probably means that I will not be updating my journal as often now, since I usually only updated it when I was bored at work and had nothing better to do. But this is a good thing, because I'll be using my time more constructively.
So that's the latest. Other than that, my life has been much the usual stuff - going to work, going out with Hung, reading, exercising, shopping - all very exciting, right? But I guess starting a new job IS very exciting, so wish me luck! Hopefully I won't need it too much.
Current Mood: accomplished
|
[<< Previous 20 entries] |
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
krachick19's journal