White Female Seeking Any Human Interaction

Internet is going to be a bit difficult. I don't want to pay for it because I have no money. There also doesn't seem to be anyone in my apt building or general vicinity who doesn't have theirs password protected. Doesn't anyone trust anyone anymore? Sheesh. So I'm going to have to go to the library to get my free internet. And that would all be fine and dandy except that they keep weird hours. So most of the time I'll have to sit outside of the library, on the steps, like a huge creeper, just so that I can check my mail. And they call this America. 

Well I know you've been checking this blog perpetually to see if I've updated. You may now exhale. I hate disappointing my faithful followers. I don't know what it is like to not get your fix when you become so addicted to something, but I hear it sucks. So here is the up-to-date scoop with my seemingly-uninteresting-but-you-can't-get-enough-of-it life. Cheers.

Wednesday

My dad and I woke up early to finish off the list of things we needed to get done. Mainly: our test runs. 

Test Run One: We drove to the apt and parked the car so that we could perform my very first "walk to work" and get an idea of how long it would take.  (Test Run One Bonus Feature: Right as we arrived, the people cleaning our blinds let us in to the apt. My dad finally got to take a look around the place. There were no ceiling fans, as promised, but the apt looked like it was in great condition. We also saw that the mailbox was open and the new checks that had been ordered had already arrived. Yahtzee.) So we set our watches and began the walk. Google Maps, or my new best friend, told us that the walk was 1 mile long and would take about 22 mins. It neglected to mention the pain that my butt would be in later that night because of the extreme hill that we had to walk down. I'm telling you, that hill is a monster. It made me aware of muscles I never knew existed. The walk took about 27 mins. And we won't talk about what will happen when it rains. Most likely me barrel rolling down the thing in a mere 20 seconds. But at least I won't have paid for the bus. Now that is what I call living on the edge.

Test Run Two: Since we were all the way down by work, why not pop our heads in to look around. We were there at exactly 10:00, which is the same time that my boss said to get there on my first day. I can see why; that place was just opening up. If 10:00 is opening time, then score one for the home team. I could really get into that. We opened up the doors to lead us to the lobby, but it only let us in to the box office area. We then stood there for a bit, looking confused and arguing about whether or not to call my boss when a man opened the lobby doors.

Man: Are you with the tour?

Me: No. I'm actually an intern that is starting on Monday.

Man: Oh yes. You're Kiki Abba. Right this way. 

Mind you, there is another girl starting on Monday and I am one of fifteen interns. The fact that he knew my name was amazing. He introduced himself as Rob and said that he was in charge of marketing. I'm assuming that I'll have to work with him a lot for my internship so I'm glad that we've already met. He seemed really laid back and nice. We then went up the route that he described and found the education department. I thought my boss would be there but she was in a meeting. So instead I got to meet Scott who is in charge of the department of education as well as Jessica who was one of last year's interns that is now working full time at the Rep. These two are awesome. They were really welcoming and showed me around a bit. I even got to see my desk. Let's just say it's a good thing I packed a lot of sass to spruce the place up. The computer is from the 80s and the phone I swear was in the movie 9 to 5, but that's totally cool. I don't need high-tech gadgetry. I'm much happier with a friendly work staff, and I think I've got that.

Test Run Three: We tried our hand at the bus system to see what it was like. Overall it was really simple. We bought these tickets at Bartell's Drugs so that you don't have to have exact fare when you're riding. Then we hoped on the #2 bus and it took about 5 mins to arrive less than a block away from my apt. It was extremely convenient and saved us from climbing back up the hill and then taking my dad to the hospital. I'm going to try to be good and only use it when it's raining or I'm in a hurry. But man, is it tempting. 

The rest of the day was really chill. I used a piece of mail I got from my mom to get a library card, which is how I'm blogging to you right now. Then we went to an area mall so that I could buy a drying rack for my clothes, a pair of rain boots, and a rain coat. I paid an arm and a leg for these things, but they look well made and hopefully will last me for a long time. Then we headed back to the hotel. Dad watched Road House and kept pointing out moments for me to watch. Compelling stuff.  I meanwhile sat online and reserved movies from the library. For many of them I'm at least the 300th person waiting so I made a point to reserve a lot of them. I've already got 6 checked out. I'm practically one cat away from spinsterhood, but I don't care. Free movies will help pass the time till I make friends. Don't judge me. 

We weren't very hungry for dinner so dad treated us to some gelato. It's just better than ice cream, pure and simple. We waited for a very long time for the woman to call to say that we could get into the apt. Finally, an hour after she said she'd call, she phoned us and we rushed over to the apt. We did a quick walk through (now complete with ceiling fans???) and looked for damages (a la RCC style) and then she was off. My dad and I hauled all of this heavy crap from IKEA up the flight of stairs and into the apt. We were done around 10:00 and were getting ready to head to the grocery store to stock the refrigerator. Wouldn't you know it, the keys didn't work. I called her back immediately and complained. She said that she could have someone come in the morning to give us a new set of keys. Perfect. This set us a bit behind so we rushed back to the hotel to catch some Zzzzs before the hellish morning to come.

Thursday

We got up early, ate breakfast and stole fruit for my apt from the continental breakfast. We loaded up the car with all of our luggage and checked out of the hotel room. With all of our leftovers sitting on top of a bed of ice in a plastic bag in the back seat, we went straight to the grocery store and bought stuff like crazy. I'm now a proud owner of a Safeway Club Card. We bolted to the apt to find the door already open. Some guy was in there installing a heater in the bathroom and trying to fix my closet door. Dad and I unpacked the car and then started assembling IKEA furniture like mad. We did a great job. Everything looks sturdy and ready to go. Dad was good at putting it together while I was good at looking at the picture and telling him what to put together. We were a seamless team. Once we were done, it was time for dad to leave to catch his plane. I only cried hard for about 10 mins. Then Jackie talked me off the ledge and I spent the rest of the day unpacking. Then, when it got dark and the energy saver within me convinced myself that I shouldn't turn on any lights and would finish unpacking the next day, I watched Finding Neverland and talked with my family on the phone nonstop. My dad unfortunately got delayed in Seattle and missed his connecting flight home. He stayed up all night in Ohare, freezing his butt off and not getting any sleep. He my friends is the real hero of the story. 

My first night in my new apt sucked. I couldn't sleep or regulate the temperature. My pillow is too big and every noise sounds like a murderer coming into my apt. But I made it through. I took this morning off from unpacking and watched another movie. Then I went to the store to buy all of the things that we forgot the day before. And now, finally, I'm back at the library, and using the internet. It's sad how much I love the internet and rely on it, but I can't help it. It's what keeps me connected to you and I can't get enough of it. 

It still hasn't rained. I tried to say hi to one of my neighbors but I think I just scared her. Things aren't perfect, but it's like Tim Gunn says, "Make it work."