Bit of Ivory

I feel like such a blog failure. I used to be so good at it, taking the time to post an entry even when I didn’t really have the time. Now I’m overflowing with time, and I still don’t post. What is wrong with me?

So. New goal. Two posts a week. I can do that, I think. Yes.

Quick catch-up:

Life has still not returned back to normal following the deaths of my grandparents, because now we’re (well, my mom specifically, but how she spends her time directly influence how I spend mine :P) trying to clean out my grandparent’s house enough that we can get it on the market. Both my grandparents were collectors and packrats, so it’s taking a while. I have thus far inherited my grandmother’s sewing box, a Roseville vase (Grandma collected pottery), a duck (Grandpa loved them, especially decoy ducks), and possibly one of my grandma’s original paintings (she was actually quite talented, I think). Plus several small things I’d given them over the years, like hand-knitted slippers and stuffed dogs. I told my mom to keep the shawl I knitted for my grandma; I think she’ll enjoy it more, and it’ll eventually get back to me anyway.

It’s hard to think about them in the past tense.

My work cut me back to part-time for the summer (I really can’t blame them, as I usually only have about an hour’s worth of actual work to do on any given day, hence the plenty of time to write blog entries) which has thrust me back into the job search. Even if I go back to full time in September, which was hinted at, I simply can’t take the chance that they’re just going to do it again next summer. I’ve had a few interviews, several of which seemed promising, but none of which ended in offers. One more today. Not getting my hopes up.

The day of my grandma’s funeral, I had tickets to see Keane in Las Vegas (so did my sisters and two friends). My mom and her siblings felt bad that I had to rearrange my plans (the funeral had to be held that day due to some family drama), so they and my parents chipped in to fly us down after the funeral. They were going to pay for round-trip airfare, but I just couldn’t justify taking $900 out of my aunts’ and uncles’ and mom’s inheritance for the sake of three $35 concert tickets. But I also felt like my grandma would have wanted us to go, and would have offered the same deal. So we reached a compromise– we took a plane to Vegas, then my parents came and picked us up the next day. It was an awesome concert– general admission with no seats on the ground floor, and my friends had gotten there early enough to get really good spots only 4 rows back. By the time the concert ended, though, we’d moved up to the second row. Nothing like being mere feet from Tom Chaplin as he sings. When mom and dad came the next day, we stopped in Cedar City and took in a play at the Shakespearean Festival– Pride and Prejudice. It was excellent, and, I think, a good diversion for my mom (as was the whole weekend).

Two weeks later, I, my sister, and our friends Sarah and Carolyn met up with Susan and Pam for a real Shakefest experience. My next post will be a write up of the whole trip and the plays especially. I convinced my mom and dad to go back to see The 39 Steps, and we’re taking my Auntie Anna, my Aunt Jeanine and Uncle Steve, and my Grandma By with us. Next Friday night. I also offered to watch the kids so my married siblings and their spouses can see it too. Ben and Laura have already taken me up on the offer, and I think Ben and Amanda will do the same two weeks from today. It seriously is the funniest play I’ve ever seen.

I desperately need to clean my room and do a major stuff purge. Anyone have any recommendations for good books on organization?

I bought the Costco 24-hour Fitness prepaid 2-year membership at the end of June, but haven’t gone once. Such is the craziness that is my life.

I’m really trying to reign in my spending and actually live off an actual budget. So far I’ve done well for a few weeks and then not so well. I need a full-time job, gosh darnit. How else am I supposed to get ahead instead of just treading water?

Can’t wait for Mockingjay.