Lifestyles of the Poor and Sassy

Here is a link to the video that I took of my apt. I tried to actually load it onto blogspot, but the file was apparently too big. This was very distressing for me to find out when I tried to upload it on Sunday at 8:00 pm while I was getting eaten alive by killer mosquitos. I'll bare the scars of that unfortunate night for years to come.

VIDEO!

I would also like to apologize about the number of times I describe something as "cute little..." or how often I say "swoop." They just kind of slipped out.

My internship started on Monday and, shocker of the century, I'm absolutely LOVING IT. But, as work should, it has absolutely worn me out. I plan to do a much longer post later on detailing my first week there. But to leave you hungry, here are some trailers to entice you for more.

1. When Kiki Met Fran

2. I'm not above Kurtzy-ing

3. HOLD MY CALLS I'M IN A MEETING

4. ...and how is this different than being an R.A. again?

5. Shrek: The Musical ????

Sweet City Woman

I can't spend another day cooped up in my apt and making up excuses to go check my mail at the library. It is Saturday, therefore a day to do something exciting. I charged my iPod, packed an umbrella, Dubuque Senior Rams sweatshirt and my camera into my backpack, threw on my kicky new Nike's and decided to head off downtown. I got directions off Google Maps yesterday, so the route should be no problem. (I need to cut a deal with Google Maps so that I get like a buck every time I give them free advertising. Maybe then I can afford such luxuries like turning the lights on in my apt or buying food. Hey, a girl can hope.)

Where else would I venture off to other than Pike Place Market? I didn't get to walk around down there the first time we saw it so I figured a nice 45 min stroll downtown would be the perfect time to see what all the fuss was about. Well, it was pretty amazing. It was like a small town festival with people selling yard art and cat magnets, except that there were wall-to-wall people. Everybody and their Asian brother were there. I had to fight my way through the crowds just to get to try a sample of hickory smoked moose jerky or the garlic mustard raspberry jam spread (both of which were not bad). I loved looking around at all of the little shops and getting to try all of the different food there. I had a bad smoothie incident this morning back at the apt so I was pretty hungry and they didn't disappoint. I didn't see any fish being thrown but I think that was because I was hear around 10:45am and not 5:45am. That would be one early morning walk.

I snuck out behind one of the shops and it had a great view overlooking Elliot Bay. I caught one of the ferries going by and had to get a picture. Derek Shepherd would be proud. It was a really gorgeous day. I was only slightly getting annoyed with the blister that was forming on my left  heel but I decided to press on. There was more to be seen and done. 

Here's a shot of the street that runs along the market. Like I said, there were just people everywhere. I know it's a Saturday and it's a big tourist trap, but I guess I thought it would have quieted it down by lunch time. It's just not that type of place. This thing was still going full speed. You don't want to get in the way of customers trying to get free samples and haggle over okra prices. The bathroom stall doors also only came up to my shoulders. This was concerning to me, but I overlooked it. 

Eventually the guilt of only eating for free began to weigh on me so I began my hunt to find the cheapest food possible. I heard this woman speaking with, what I assumed was a bit of a Polish accent. She was selling this hot pocket type thing that you see above. I bought it to see what it was like. It wasn't bad, it just didn't taste like anything. Ah, the Polish way: you pay extra for taste. It was also scolding hot. Those little buggers really can hold the heat.

I got this shot just as I was leaving the Market. I was on my way to find the movie theatre that was only a few blocks away. Apparently I was in just the right part of town. On my way I stopped inside a Starbs and got a Green Tea Frappuccino, which Suzanna got me hooked on, to finish off one of the many gift cards I have there. Then I felt a little sassy and decided to stop by Sephora and put on black shimmer eye liner. Foxy. All of the stores that I would ever want to go to were on these 6 blocks so I'm glad I found it. Gap, Old Navy, Tiffany's, it was all there. 

I finally made it to the movie theatre where I bought my ticket and watched the movie by myself for the first time. It wasn't too bad. The only other person in the theatre was also by himself. Probably because he looked like Colonel Sanders. I saw Hamlet 2 and it was so hilarious. It made me miss high school theatre, and college theatre, but also get really excited for Seattle Rep Theatre. So that's a plus.

I was thinking about taking the Monorail to cut some of the walk time down, but it was a nice day and I wasn't in a rush. I don't think I noticed how hot it had become. Or how much that blister was starting to hurt. Or the fact that getting downtown was pretty much down hill the whole way. Going back home was...an experience. By the time I got to the bottom of the Queen Anne hill I was tired and in pain. Looking up at it, I seriously thought about throwing in the towel. But I didn't want my first time climbing up the hill to be after a hard day at work so I sucked it up and started the trek. I could feel the blood dripping down my heel into a pool in my shoe. I was sweating through my shirt to the backpack that was hanging heavily on my back. I was carrying a blanket from Bed Bath and Beyond that I bought on the way home that might was well have been an anvil. I only paused once, to lean against a telephone pole and not pass out. But the worst part? A 60 yr old Indian man was doing double time up this thing without breaking a sweat. I felt embarrassed and like I wanted to hurl. But I made it home, ripped off my shoes, bandaged my heel and drank the entire contents of my Nalgene bottle. Then I proceeded to wash my face and lie spread eagle on my living room floor. This will take some getting used to.  I think if I ever walk home with my future roommate there will be a strict no-talking-while-hyperventilating-up-the-hill policy. 

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."

And On the Third Day God Made Cheap Mattresses

Today was another long day. My sleeping pill left me feeling groggy and moaning like Chewbacca this morning, but at least I got some sleep. Lately I've been waking up during the night from bizarre dreams. Hopefully now that I'm in Seattle the sleeping can commence. 

We had a lot that we needed to get done today. And I'm sure you would've liked it if we had done it nice and easy. But you see, we never ever do nothing nice and easy. We like to do it nice and rough. Just like Proud Mary. 

We some how managed to find our way to this Public Transportation type office area thing where we could get a bunch of schedules for where the buses go. I think I took about 50 packets. Anything that said Seattle Center or Queen Anne I just yanked it and stuffed it in my purse. That should hold me for a good long while. We were actually really lucky to find this place. We almost went into some condemned building we were so lost. But we're gonna look over the schedules and then hop on one of the buses tomorrow. 

We then went to the Bank and got two rolls of quarters, which will be used for bus fare and laundry. The bank isn't exactly close to my apt but it's nice to know where it is. Then we went to my landlord's office to sign the lease. She had no idea we were coming but improvised the situation really well. She's being really nice and accommodating and will let us move in tomorrow instead of on Thursday. This'll save my dad an airfare change, extra time for our rental car, and an extra night in the hotel room. That's like a bizillion dollars in case you weren't counting. So phew on that count. We'll do the walk through tomorrow night and then start the unloading process. He better not leave before this IKEA furniture gets assembled. Or Kiki's gonna have to go freak nasty on him. 

We ate lunch at this cute little cafe and I tried Clam Chowder for the first time. I really liked it. I'm one step closer to becoming cool enough to talk with a Boston accent. 

Now we're getting to the good stuff. For the first time this whole trip, Google Maps failed us. Actually, it didn't fail us at all, we just refused to believe the information it had given us. We got lost. And I'm talking yelling-at-each-other-and-making-pedestrians-stare-at-us lost. The map would've eventually taken us to the right spot but we cut out early and never made it. After a breather we decided to eighty-six going to this furniture store and go look for a bed. Bed shopping is way more fun when you're with Kristin Lang, let me tell you. But we actually had really quick luck and bought a Queen within about 15 mins. She'll even deliver on the day I want her to. Awesome. 

After that huge success we decided to try again to find this furniture store. With our heads hanging low because of our previous blunder we found the shop. It wasn't at all what we were in the market for so it was a quick hit. But I did take 2 starbursts so it wasn't a total bust. 

For dinner I made dad go to Toi (like TOY story) to get some Thai food. I never thought I'd say this but: I think I found the best coconut shrimp ever. For years the title was held by none other than Red Lobster. It was over this scrumptious meal that I forged a friendship with Alisa not four years prior. But today, at this restaurant, with my dad, I ate the most delicious coconut shrimp known to man. It was a sad day. The end of an era. But also an exciting day. Closer and better tasting prawns. Yummm. 

We finished off the day with a rousing trip to the Bed Bath and Beyond. I found a lot of jank stuff in the clearance section. There's a hunk missing from it? Add it to the cart.  That's pretty much how every conversation went. And to put a cherry on top of a deliciously busy day I filled out an automotive survey for an hour so that I could make $30. This is my life now. 

Furniture Shopping with the Stars

My feet hurt. 

We shopped. We purchased and finagled.  We looped a block 6 times to get a parking spot and then as we're staring at the meter, looking utterly confused as to how to put money into it, a lady shouts "Hey it's a holiday! No meter!" Thanks stranger, we are rookies and have no idea what the crap we're doing.

Since today is Labor day most of the places we wanted to go were either closed or having  HUGE MEGA BLOWOUT SALES and were crammed wall-to-wall with people. These are not good shopping conditions but we don't have a lot of time to work with so we set out among the Seattle-ites and try our hand at bargain shopping. It didn't go so well. Most of the things that we found were over priced to begin with and the delivery charge sent us over the edge. You can't charge $150 to move a $90 table set. You just can't. But, as you can see above, the drive to get to these places was just beautiful. The view of the side of the highway is just magnificent. You can see right over into Elliott Bay and watch the boats come into port. And right behind that is the huge picturesque Queen Anne hillside that is covered in quaint houses as far as the eye can see. I took about 10 pictures but this was the only one that wasn't blurry from the car. Dad refused to slow down so I could get a good shot. Something about us "crashing and burning." Whatever, learn to take some risks, man.

After striking out at a furniture store we made it rain at St. Vinny's. Their 1/2 Labor Day sale was just the ticket to get lots of stuff for the kitchen. I wanted to get a microwave but Dad was certain that it wouldn't work. He is such a discount hater. If my Mom had been there we would have bought it in duplicate. Oh well. Then we went across the street to Sam's to buy our weight in toilet paper and granola bars. Just call me Annie Oakley. Once that bargain buster was over we went downtown to find another furniture store. This was when we had our parking debacle. But in our parking pursuit we managed to find Pike's Place Market(as pictured above)! RA's take note: It is actually a really cool place once you're not bogged down with Fish Philosophy and "making someone's day." We didn't have a lot of time to look around, but I assume I'll be there pretty frequently in the future. 

We took a break to eat some lunch at this great cafe. The food was so delicious. I've decided that BLTs really shouldn't taste as good as this one did. It's just not fair to other sandwiches. It was a really swanky place and was the type of store where you might not know it's there unless you look right at it. That's what I like about Seattle, it's like there are secret places everywhere instead of a huge sign telling you that this is MACYS. Know what I mean? 

Also--the water here is really good. Unlike Iowa City, I don't feel like I have to worry about my first child coming out with a tail. It doesn't need a filter and doesn't leave any type of after taste in your mouth. This is really important since Dubuque has pretty much the best water in the nation. Seattle so far is matching up quite nicely. 

Eventually we made our way to IKEA. And not just any IKEA. This one, I swear to God, was the size of Seattle. It just. kept. going. We were only in there for 2 hrs but that's because I made us stare at the floor, hold our arms close to our body to make us streamline, and walk like there's free ice cream at the finish line. For my first time there, I have to admit, I was less than impressed. Probably because I wanted the big ticket items and they weren't being cheap on sofas or beds. I did find a suitable dinning table, desk, and end table for pretty cheap so that was a bonus. But by the end I was getting dehydrated and irritable. A lethal combo. This is my furniture in it's beginning stages. I hope that when I take a picture of it in the future, it'll be assembled and looking fly. 

After a particularly unpleasant trip to Target (what do you mean you don't have raincoats?!?) we went and got some pizza. Once again, it was the most delicious pizza I've ever had. No seriously, it was phenomenal. My dad and I talked about what our first impressions of the city were and I think we came to the same three conclusions: 1. It's clean and organized looking 2. It's not hard to get around. Especially when Google Maps is your middle name and 3. The weather is right up my alley. For any one that has ever met me you'll know that I'm a big fan of a jeans and a hoodie. That is exactly what this weather calls for. I couldn't ask for a better situation. (In case my tune changes, remind me that I thought this on day 2)

To finish off our day we decided to head to the Seattle Center and see what we could see. Well, we didn't see much. The one time we try to go off on our own without a map and we take quite a large detour. By the time we finally got there, the sun was going down fast and my feet were starting to feel like they were about to fall off. But I got a nice shot of the Space Needle up close, so I guess it was worth it. The place was buzzing with Bumbershoot crazies and loud music echoing from every corner. We never got around to seeing Seattle Rep, but I figure we have to save a few things for us to do tomorrow. 

Before we left, we stopped at a shop to get my Mom a Seattle mug and inside there was a huge rocks display. They must have also set this up because they knew I was coming. I love me some novelty rocks. I knew my Mom would get a kick out of this.

Now I'm just chilling with my Dad in the hotel room. He was snoring like a freight train last night so I've decided to take half a sleeping pill to help drown him out. As I take the pill I spilled a little down my chin and my dad said, "See those pills work great. Any minute now and you'll begin drooling." Thanks Dad, love you too.

Days in Seattle without rain: 2