UNDER CONSTRUCTION

So I've decided to put some life back into this blog...

I've revived my passion for photography...and it's time to stop hiding behind my alter ego, "Ryree"

Stay tuned...this is going to get exciting!

Hello There, New Furniture

I decided to take the camera out and at least attempt to capture my move. I actually unpacked most of my boxes! It's a great achievement, really. This was the key chain the gave me when I picked up my keys.

This weekend was a success! I knew I had to go to IKEA to get some starter furniture, so I made sure to search their website before going. If I didn't know that, I would have been all over the place. I knew I had to go in there with a plan of attack. I had an idea of what I wanted to buy, I knew the color wood I was looking for, and I had a list of specific items with product name and bin number (yes, they give you that information online!). I wrote it all in my handy dandy moving notebook. :)

Once at IKEA, I reach in my purse for my notebook, and realize I left it on my coffee table (a.k.a. plastic storage Tupperware thingy). But I wasn't worried because I remembered the color and somewhat remembered the items I wanted to see.

I came out a winner!! Got myself a new side table, coffee table (a real one!), and a kick-ass TV stand. I also got a few other things. You know that area after the show rooms and before the self-serve area? Where they have all the fun stuff to shop for? Yeah, I got myself a few kitchen supplies, wall decals, and a few other things.

I leave you all with a picture of these cute little chocolate truffles I scarfed down the other night. I got them as a gift for my birthday. Aren't they cute?!

I'm Home!

That's right ladies and gents, I'm officially moved in and it feels great! I wish had some pictures to share, but I didn't take any. I was too busy packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking. It's such a relief to be done with the big stuff. I still have some unpacking to do but I'm pretty much settled in.

Things I learned over the past couple days:

1. Just because you buy an HD Television, doesn't mean you have HD cable.
   
2. You'll get charged a $30.00 fee, plus $4.00 a gallon for gas IF you don't refill the U-Haul gas tank. Thank goodness for the kind employees at U-Haul for letting me take the truck back to fill it up, saving me the fee plus ridic price for a gallon!
3. Have an internet network name ready before the internet/cable guy comes. Otherwise, you'll be sitting there for tens of minutes trying to figure out a clever name and all he'll be thinking is how much of a fool you are.
4. Make sure you know where to throw the garbage and recycling.
5. Boxes make great interim tables!

Stay tuned for more lessons learned!

Break Time a.k.a. Procastinating

I've dedicated today to all things packing. I've packed a box here and there, but today everything should be done. I've been anticipating my move weekend for a while now, and now it's quickly approaching. I have a business trip to go to before my move, hence the need to pack everything now so I don't need to worry about it when I get back.

I've settled my cable/internet issue! I was so frustrated that I just made up my mind to get Comcast. I was all excited when I was filling out my information and then I ran into a problem that blew my mind. Apparently, Comcast does not service my area. What?! I couldn't believe and I had to call for a serviceability request. A day later, the confirmed that they don't service my building. Aren't they one of the biggest, if not the biggest, cable provider?! Anywho, I ended up signing up for Astound, which is a local cable provider. I'll have to get used to the channels because I'm used the Comcast channel numbers, but Astound is cheaper than Comcast and it's not like I'll get a lesser quality of the networks.

I still have to get a U-Haul. Buy a TV and buy a sofa in the next week. Ambitious of me huh? Of maybe incredibly dumb for getting all the 'big stuff' at once. That's just how I am though. I hate having to wait for things. I want everything in my new place right when I move. That's going to cause a major dent in my bank account. Probably more like a collision.

I still need to make an IKEA trip too, because, well, it's required. You always have to do an IKEA trip when moving. Regardless if you need something or not. I like looking at the showrooms for ideas. IKEA can wait a couple weeks though.

The buzzer of the dryer marks the end of my break time. My next post might be from the comfort of my new place, stay tuned!

www.internetisexpensive.com

About a month since my last post. How wonderful of me, aye? I do have a valid excuse, a few of them to be exact. I've been really busy and out of town a lot. But I won't get into that.

I'm a bit frustrated. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm moving. In preparation for this big move, I've been researching cable and internet service. Can someone please explain why it's so darn expensive? I've already decided that I don't need a telephone line since I already use my cell phone as my main number. I've come to accept the price for cable, although I do think it would be better if we can pick and choose what channels we want and pay for those only, but I digress. Internet. The service provider I've been looking at charges a monthly charge. Okay I get it. But in order to actually get internet, you need a modem AND a wireless router? They charge you a monthly charge if you decide to use their equipment or you spend hella money to buy your own. I just don't get it. You'd think that would have some easier way (cheaper way) to connect to the internet now a days.

So, thinking I was clever, I thought I could skip the whole internet service for my new place and just get a internet card, since I only have a laptop anyways. I've seen people use those to connect to the internet from airports, cafes, etc. So why couldn't I use it to connect at home? So I go home and start researching. I'm left even more confused. I guess it's easier to get one of those internet/wireless cards for PC laptops. I have a Macbook Pro and kept coming across this thing called "expresscard." Then I read that the 13" aren't equipped with an expresscard slot. Hmph! There has to be a way to get some kind of internet card/express card for the 13" now, right?!

All I want is some (cheap) way to connect to the internet. I just have one lil ol' laptop...what in the world am I going to do?!

Does anyone out there have any suggestions? I'm so lost!

I'm Moving!!

I'm just way too excited to think of a witty title for this blog. Oh well...I'm moving! This is one goal that I've had on my to-do list for some time now. One thing that hindered this was the idea of saving a certain amount of money before I move. What did I gain from that? Nothing, really. The idea seems valid and doable, but the reality is that it doesn't work for me. Yes, my rent at home should have allowed me to crank up my savings in the past few years, but instead I indulged in mini-vacations, shopping, eating out, etc. It's actually kind of sad to think about all the money that goes into entertainment and leisure. Oh well, can't turn back time, I can only look forward to what's ahead.

And ahead of me is my first apartment! It's a very exciting time. Well over-due, some may say. It definitely feels like the right decision and I couldn't be more excited. I was actually planning on a June move date. A couple of nights ago, I was browsing the apartment postings on craigslist, I actually have been doing that often. I figured that if I keep the idea of moving active in my mind, it would keep me motivated to make it happen and finally stop pushing it back. Since this is my first apartment, I really didn't know what to look for and what was considered a good deal. So, of course, I always consult my big sissie Share-Bare. She's moved enough times to be considered an expert on apartments! So as I was searching on craigslist, I found this one posting from this one particular property that I've been debating. This move-in special was one I couldn't resist, and when I ran it past Share, she agreed.

The next day I gave them a call and set up an appointment to see the unit. I brought Share with me and we spoke to the Leasing Specialist and she gave us a tour. To add on to the great move-in special, it is in an ideal location for me. On our way back to the leasing office, Share tells me to do it, which was exactly what I was thinking. So that same day, I filled out the paperwork and gave the security deposit.

I still have about a month and a half until I actually move in, which is a month earlier than I originally planned, but it feels right. My mom is totally getting into it too, which I was hoping she would. She's already planning what I need for my kitchen. I need that because I don't know where to start! I started making lists of what I already have and what I need, but if I think about it too much, I start to feel overwhelmed. Which is what happened right before I started this blog entry. I was browsing online for sofas, and then realized that I don't know what color scheme I want. So I started looking up swatches, but then the colors I want won't go with the furniture I already have. And then I went back to looking for sofas...so I stopped and went to blogger.com.

This is definitely going to be a new adventure for me and I'll be sure to keep this updated with the ups and downs of how things are going. Ahhhhh I still can't believe it's finally happening!

Random Ramble: Part 3

I've been MIA! I really don't have a good reason for it, but it happened. A week turned into two, and so on . Well that's it from me!

Just kidding...I plan to have a few good posts (or at least I hope they're good) in April, so please stay tuned. I've been neglecting my camera, so I plan to try to get back into that and share a few shots. I invested the money in that equipment, so I should use it, get more experience, and get better, right? Right.

I am currently working on a project that is pretty fun. I'm making a movie on iMovie of our family trip to the Philippines last March. Yeah, I know...I'm a year late. But hey! It's not my fault, I didn't have any way to connect my camcorder to my laptop. Don't expect any award winning short films from me, that's not my forte, but if you want a kick-ass slide show or have family videos that need to be put down on DVD, I'm your girl.