settling in

I moved in Friday, and I am now feeling like my apartment is now my home. My cable is set up, I finally got a tv. I am just waiting now for the rest of my boxes to come in so I can finally be done with unpacking.

I am also anxiously awaiting the arrival of my blackout curtains, as the time is now 9:30 AM, and one could not tell if it was am or pm due to the light outside. Pretty soon it will be daytime 24/7 and hopefully summer will actually come. It better! I have lots of outdoorsy plans!

As for now, it's bedtime as I have a 4 day streak at work, with one day off afterwards, then work 2 more days, then off for 4. Ew. Good night all.

4 days and a wake up!

I am leaving in a few hours for Memphis, and I am pretty happy that I will be able to finish up the mess I left in my room there.

I am ready to just get on the plane already, as the long flight to get there is a pain in the you know what...

Ok, it's shower and get ready time.

bliss

So, I visited home in St. Louis, and I plan on leaving tomorrow around noon or so, after I take care of a few things...

I need to go to my car insurance agent and figure out what I am going to do about my car insurance, since I won't be driving it. I really don't feel like paying for it if I'm not driving. I don't think I will be finding any arguments here.

I need to vacuum out said vehicle, as it's got lots of cigarette ashes and such everywhere. Even though I won't be driving it, the fact that it's dirty still bugs me.

I still have a bit of work to do when I get back to TN tomorrow, and I feel like I am down to the wire...

I still do not have a flight yet to Nome, but I just got off the phone with my boss, and I will hopefully have some sort of itinerary tomorrow....

Regarding the title: I am blissful to have spent quality time with my family and friends. I am blissful that I got to see my wonderful city, St. Louis in all of it's Spring beauty. I am blissful that I am ALMOST done with affairs at my home in TN. I am blissful that I will be back in my official new home in Nome in less than a week. I am blissful that even though I have no family by blood in Nome, I have a family made up of the best friends anyone can ask for, and the world's greatest boyfriend to be the first to greet me at the airport when I finally arrive.

I am truly grateful for the passed few months, as they have put my life in perspective, and in turn, put it in order.

being home, truly

I am HOME in St. Louis! I got here around 5on Thursday, and I have already seen so many of my loved ones and had good times already! It's amazing how fast the time has gone by since I have been here compared to the time I have spent in TN thus far.

I am pretty tired, as I for some reason cannot sleep in here! I have no idea. Maybe it's the Universe telling me I should enjoy every last minute. Well, OK!

I have already been out and about and the weather is spectacular! I have been reading my friends profiles' status on Facebook, and seeing they are sad lately that last week there was no sun...I must say, it has been sunny and gorgeous and the birds are singing, lalalalalalalalalalalala.

I was a little weirded out that I wore a tshirt and jeans and flip flops last night to go out and meet up with my friend! It will be a sad adjustment to go back to 30 degree weather, still knowing I have to wear boots and a coat...

But nonetheless, I am happy to be here, and I am relishing every nano-second!

going home, truly

Going home means several things for me.

Since December 2005, I have been officially living in Collierville, TN.

I was born and raised in St. Louis, MO, and lived there until I was 26.

I am moving to Nome, Alaska in 10 days, and I have been 'living' there on and off for the passed 2 and a half years.

So, when I say I am going home, it could be to any of those 3 places. My new home is Nome, where I have been trying hard to call it 'home' since I have been in my current home, here in Collierville.

But today, I am going HOME. Home to St. Louis, where my heart is and will always be until the day I die.

I am going to leave by 11 hopefully, after I have a marathon cleaning session in my room.

I cannot wait to see my family and friends, since I know it will be a long time before I get to see them again, as I don't have any immediate plans for coming back until the fall with Brian, Missy, and Doug.

Alas, I am going home today. Before I go back home to my current home in TN, and following going to my new home of residence in Alaska.

No wonder I am always confused!

work almost done...

Yay! 13 boxes total in the mail! One is a little care package I sent to my boyfriend Brian, as I have a hard time holding onto presents and can't wait to give them to the people I bought them for. The total cost of shipping $214.30, including $100 of insurance and delivery confirmation. I am very happy about this, as I still have a few more boxes to go. I thought the cost to ship all those items was going to be ALOT more than that, so like I said, I am pleased...

Last night I sucked the air out of 3 Space Saver bags full of clothes, and one Space Saver storage box (a new item on the market) full of towels and blankets. The last to go with me will just be in my luggage. I am grateful to my mother for not making me move every single possession of mine up there. That has made all of this a little easier, since I was misunderstood in thinking that was what I had to do when I got back here last week.

Tomorrow, I will be headed to St. Louis for a few days of family and friend crunch time before I head back here to Memphis and finish up some last minute details before I fly back to Alaska. Hopefully I will be able to get a hold of my boss today and find out if they have made flight arrangements for me yet.

I am still a little paranoid about the slim to none possibility that I am not going back. Not to long ago before I cam home, a rumor was going around that there was someone/persons attempting to petition that I don't get the permanent job in the hospital. Of course it is silly, but in a small town, the way that rumors fly, you somehow have to be a little more aware of things just in case any of the rumors hold any water. That situation has been laid to rest, (I'm pretty sure) but it has left me paranoid about my coworkers, and I am at a point where I feel I have to start all over again for any of them to gain my trust. This is a hard situation to be in, as I am a very trusting person. The culprit to this particular rumor has been narrowed down to one person in question, of whom I had absolutely no trust in whatsoever before I even heard that ridiculous rumor.

Also ahead of me today: I must get in contact with my doctor here in Memphis, as I would like to be seen for these constant leg cramps/pains I have been having in my right calf for the passed 2 months or so. Of course, the nurse in me is being a hypochondriac and my worst fear is a blood clot, and knowing I have a long 18 hours of flying ahead of me back to AK, and that contributes to some ridiculous 'phenomenon' of developing clots on long flights. That's the last thing I need, and like I said, nurses can be the worst hypochondriacs, thinking the worst.

I have to get to the pharmacy and pick up some prescriptions, and head back home to finish up with some last minute cleaning before I head out to St. Louis in the morning. I just hope I can get an early start, since I will be going to BUNCO again tonight...and there will be drinking...I just have to make sure I cool it and don't drink too much like I did last week! BUNCO sure is fun, and I am sad to leave my BUNCO friends behind here in Memphis, but hope to start a BUNCO circle up in Nome after I get back.

Well, I should get off this computer and get started! Have a great and blessed day. Thanks for reading.

OMFG! Will it ever end???

So I am taking a break right now since my butt is cramping from sitting on the floor of my closet sifting through memorabilia and photos. I found the ex-boyfriend memory box! How crazy is that? After a long debate with my conscience, I decided it would be best to throw all of it away. I shouldn't dwell on my crappy dating past, and even crappier ex's. I have a wonderful man right now who is all that matters. I still am baffled why us women/girls keep things like that.

Beyond me!

I posted pics on Facebook of the madness that is my room, and so far, I have wreaked havoc on my closet and plan on having that complete first so I can store the non-needed-to-be-moved-items. So far, there is TONS left to figure out what to throw away, store, pack, etc...

Hopefully by tomorrow I will have made some good headway. I am still trying to figure out the logistics of boxing things, as I want to make this as cost efficient as possible for me.

I am hoping by tomorrow I will have empty boxes lined up neatly on my bedroom floor awaiting items to be placed away for the nice long trip to Nome. ALl the while, I am also hoping I don't pack too much, for I really don't need anything more than my bathroom things, bed linens, towels, some nick-knacks and clothes.

OK! Back to the grind!

back in the Lower 48...not for long...

Well, I made it home to Memphis yesterday in one piece after travelling for over 24 hours. I can't remember a time where I was more exhausted. My ears still hurt a little from all the altitude popping. Not to mention, Mary Beth and I both went to a tattoo parlor Monday night and we both got our tragus pierced. (still a little tender)

So, already today I spent over $800 on things I will need for my new apartment. I am super nerdy-excited about some of the things I got on super sale at Target and Wal-Mart: like my rice cooker, fry-daddy, toaster oven, bathroom scale, and a mini crock pot. I also got some decorations for the place and not to mention I stocked up on mascara that doesn't cost $15 a tube like it does in Nome... (no, I am not kidding)

Next order of business is to haul ass packing all my things and ship them up to my PO box. I have been inventorying my kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living rooms items, and I am overwhelmed at how much crap I have! I am enduring a heated internal struggle with what I should do with all the stuff I don't want or need. I usually donate to AmVets, but Mom wants to try to have another garage sale...We'll see how that goes.

I was under the impression I was going to have to pack up EVERYTHING I owned and ship it to Nome, but by the grace of my mother, I can keep some things here while I spend the next 2+ years up in Alaska. It just really sucks knowing there are things I would like to have up there that I know I won't need 100% of the time.

I have so much work ahead of me, and I am not feeling to good about how much this is all going to cost me in shipping costs. Ew.

Well, I am off to do more sorting and inventory. More updates as they come. Next big shopping trip is Costco!

I GOT AN APARTMENT!

So, first person to call me back, and first apartment I was shown, I fell in love!
I will be moving into a spacious one bedroom with a huge kitchen kind of away from town-ish, but not to far from anything.

The layout is super cute, my landlords are super laid back and cool, and I will move in about 2.5 weeks after I return back to Nome. It's a true relief to know I will have a place to hang my hat when I get back.

I have decoration ideas in my head already and I am plotting out furniture arrangements, and what I will do with all the storage space I will have. Did I mention I have a HUGE closet???? What more can a girl ask for? Pics will come up soon I hope, as I work with the guy who will be moving out of the unit I will be moving into.

Life is great!

leftover pics from Iditarod :)