Back to the Kindle

I love my iPad. I really, really, really do. But that sumbitch is as heavy as a textbook (a paperback text book, not a hardcover) and because I didn't get one of them fancy 3G (or are they 4G?) ones, it isn't always the most convenient device. Sooooooo, I have been toying with the idea of getting a new Kindle. I was considering one of the regular old ereader one, but I remembered my love for the Fire. I decided to peruse Craigslist to see what folks were offering. Not much. Then I got the bright idea to check ebay and lo and behold, I WON AN EBAY AUCTION! I'm getting myself a (*mint condition, barely used*) Kindle for just $71.00 and free shipping. I sold my old Kindle for less, so I don't feel too bad. The seller I bought from has sold a number of items and has 99.9% approval rating from customers, so I'm feeling pretty good about it.

Okay, cupid

So I went on my first OKCupid date. It went well for the most part, but I won't be seeing the guy again. I think he lost me when he told me he was an unemployed, bipolar insomniac. We met at Spyhouse for coffee first which is where I learned that he like to talk A Lot. I think it was maybe a little nervousness, but it was a bit overwhelming. We then went and had dinner at Peninsula. He's fancies himself a foodie and told me about a lot of places he's eaten at in the TC. That was all interesting, but he didn't really engage me in conversation. Whenever I'd speak he's do that "yeah", "uh huh" thing, but like at weird points which made it seem like he wasn't even listening. Anyway, so I've done it and it wasn't terrible. Now maybe I'll meet someone I actually like.

Hair chronicles

I am for serious considering going bald. Not like I am currently balding. Okay, I'm not balding, but the areas where I have lost hair don't seem to be responding to biotin and castor oil. I'm starting to get over it. The weekly prepooing and washing and cowashing and deep conditining and LOCing are just a hassle. Maybe I'm just being impatient. I am seeing a bit of fuzz in some areas and the rest of my hair is growing and feels thicker, but I don't know if I'll be rocking a big fro anytime soon.

Protecting the babies

Yeah, so this happened. While I appreciate the security guard's "concern for the children", it's hard not to think this is maybe a little bit rooted in some bigoted thinking. The article doesn't say how long the SG (or the concerned customer) observed the family or what this father and the girls were doing, so it's hard to say whether s/he had a real reason to think this guy and those kids did not "fit" other than, "What's that white guy doing with those black kids (I know they are mixed-race, but that probably isn't how the customer and the SG saw it)? I'd need more info before I'm prepared to give the customer, the security guard or Walmart a cookie. People in the comments seem to be assuming the SG and/or the customer are white people (not that anyone has out and out said that, so I guess I'm assuming people assume that). I had an older black woman approach me at the DMV I worked at once to tell me to "keep an eye" on the older white guy who was sitting talking to a young black girl in our waiting area. Turns out the guy was the girl's mother's boyfriend and they were waiting for the mom to finish the test. The nosy older black lady wasn't around to find that out though. And this is gonna sound strange (maybe even creepy), but I have actually thought to myself, "It would be fairly easy for some perv to snatch a kid in a store or mall." Here's my thinking. I imagine most folks are like me and will look away when they see a kid screaming or crying . One almost automatically assumes that kid is having a tantrum and because we don't want to come off as judgmental assholes we will look ANYWHERE ELSE to avoid eye-contact with the parent/guardian/oldersibling/whoever with the little screamer. Unless the kid is articulating, "YOU'RE NOT MY DADDY! STRANGER! CREEP!" to the guy grabbing at his or her arm, we roll our eyes and think, "Spoiled brat" when we hear the kid telling the adult to leave her/him alone. I'm not saying everyone does this, but I think a good chunk of us do and I think (I hope!) a good chunk of the time, the situation is a kid (and a parent) having a bad day. However, it terrifies me to think that I would look away from a situation, only to discover later that the kid I mentally called a brat was actually trying to wriggle away from some creep and I didn't help.

My newest place

I'm all moved in. Damian, Rebecca, Melanie (yay!!!), and Heide were super-troopers who got up all crazy-early and helped me. We got started moving out of Stevens at about 10 and were done at just about 11:45. The inspector guy showed up and BARELY freakin' looked at all my hard work. I don't think he even opened the oven door. Bastards!!! He said everything was fine and that I needn't even worry about the window screen not being replaced. (Side note: Despite many scary dreams about my air conditioner crashing to the ground below, I was able to successfully remove it all by myself...and nary a bird came swooping in before when I did.) So I'll be looking for my FULL security deposit plus interest and the $5.50 in laundry tokens I turned in. Anyhoodle, because the prior tenant didn't move out until Monday evening (at which time Sabrina kindly drove me over to pick up keys and drop off groceries because she's awesome like that), painting and carpet cleaning couldn't be done until Tuesday morning. Jimmy asked that I wait until after one to give things time to dry. We parked the truck in the lot out back and went to the Uptowner for some much-needed chow. We started the move in at just before 1:30 and were done just before 2. Amazeballs! So far I have only really completely unpacked the kitchen and sorta the bathroom. The hardest part is the living room. I still have all of my movies in books in boxes because I don't want to shelve them until I know for sure where I want to couch and the bookcases and that stupid coffee table (which I should probably get rid of because it' is old and ugly and too big for this room. Perhaps a trip to Ikea is in order. I would be fine with a couple of the little Lack tables pushed together. But whateves.) I also need to tackle the Tupperwares full of clothing in the bedroom. And I still have a bin full of yarn that I need to go through and get rid of. As for the apartment, my upstairs neighbors are some hard-walking sons of so-and-so's. They are a family with a couple of small kids and the kids like to run around. Fortunately, from the sounds of things, the family is gone until about 6:30ish and the kids are put to bed around 8. I guess it's better than booming stereos or yappin-ass dogs. Also, because I'm right by the rear door, I get door slamming (like that one). The prior tenant did the most perfunctory cleaning. The blinds are dirty, the stove was a hot mess (I have spend $30 on drip pans this week), the a/c is dirty, there are still cobwebs on the ceiling and holes several doors. Maybe if I hadn't been in such a rush to move, the place MIGHT have been cleaned. I suspect not though. I took pictures of E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!!! I am sending them back with my Move-In inspection form (and the prior tenants Move-Out form which was left on the kitchen counter (soooooo, not so much with the inspection). Frankly, his was nice to have as a guide. I was hoping to change the showerhead in my place. I went to Ace to see about getting some kind of adapter and Tom the older guy thought it could be done. I had to return with the showerhead and the replacement shower thingy (and since I had left my wallet on my quest for food, it didn't matter). We thought we were in good, but then he consulted with some other dude (whom I was totally like, "I've seen you before" and only JUST NOW realized I recognized him from Gringos just this past weekend) who was like you have to detach the thingy from the wall. I showed them my pictures of the thing and they said I'd probably have to have my landlords change it. I still feel like I should be able to get some kind of adapter. Gonna try a different Ace and/or Menards. Speaking of Menards, I want to get a couple of wood slaps to create shelves for under the kitchen sink and possibly a longer one to create a shelf to run cupboard-to-cupboard up top. I have managed to shove everything in the space I have for the most part, but I could tweak it. Right now my computer desk is on the wall below the a/c. I might move it the wall facing out the window (where I had it initially. Right now, that space is held up by boxes I want to put in my storage unit, but that has some of the prior tenants stuff in it. I sent my first maintenance request this morning. My smoke detector is not working, there are broken blinds in the bedroom, the stuff in the storage locker, and the dirty a/c. Now, some might say I should just replace the battery in the smoke detector (I'm pretty sure that's the problem), block the hole in the blinds, remove the stuff in the locker (actually, that's exactly what Jimmy suggested) and clean the a/c myself. Except, I paid a month and a half's worth of security deposit. I should not be responsible for even the little shit because this should have been handled. Again, it might have been had I not moved in so quickly, but I'm here and I want it taken care of now. So I'm sending off my first rent payment and Prior Tenant's Move-Out sheet today. Later, Melanie and I are gonna have some chow and hit the Walker because she's in town and I've never been to the Walker and it sounds like fun. Right now. I'm bout to get this bedroom and living room organized. Lates.