Blogging gets harder and harder these days because every day is about the same. Get up at 5.30, go to work, get out of work at quarter to 3, get home around 3.30. Check mail. Go swimming. Shower. Nap. Eat. Read. Go to bed between 9.30 and 10.

I have wednesday off for independence day. I was going to ask for Monday and Tuesday off as well and just have a LOOONG weekend, but was informed that to get paid for the holiday I have to work the day before and the day after, so I just took Monday off instead.

See, not much going on really. Oh, I'm almost done reading The DaVinci Code. When Eric found out I was reading it he was a bit upset. Apparently there's a prequel, which I haven't read yet, and Eric was a bit perturbed that I not only haven't ready the first book, but haven't even heard of it. So when I went to Wisconsin last weekend he gave me his copy of Angels and Demons (I think that's what it's called).

Speaking of Wisconsin, I went there by ferry for Eric's sister's wedding. Nice wedding, but a little too much pink for my taste. Anyway, I had a pretty good time going to the rehersal dinner, the wedding, staying with a friend's parents whom I'd never met before, and their HUGE dog!! I've never in my life seen a dog that big! If he had jumped on me, his front paws would have reached over my head, I'm sure! Anyway, I didn't get to see much of Milwaukee because of how busy everyone was with everything, but I did go to Barnes and Nobels and bought three books, including a T.S. Eliot poetry book and Pride and Prejudice, so Amanda, if you ever find my other copy, its yours now.

WE'RE ON THE BRINK OF BLUE BERRY SEASON!! Hooray for living in a house surrounded by blueberry fields!!! So if anyone has any good ideas/recipes involving blueberry's, do tell!

Rumor has it...

At work yesterday the guys fought over gatorade. Unbelievable! These are 30+ year old men fighting over gatorade! The supervisors even had to get involved to resolve the issue.

I went shopping with my aunt yesterday for a dress to wear to all these summer weddings coming up. I felt like I was shopping with my mother. Have I mentioned she reminds me of my mom? Anyway, it was weird. Like my mom, she hasn't exactly the same sense of style as I have. Also like my mom, she has in mind an idea of of what my "style" is and, like my mom's, it doesn't quite coincide with mine. I did manage to find two dresses - one that I kinda liked but wasn't sure if it was dressy enough and another that I really liked but wasn't sure if it was modest enough. So (following Aunt Pam's advice) I bought them both and took them home to show Uncle Dave. He liked the one I liked, so that settled it. For some reason I trust his judgement better on the issue. :) Come to think of it, I always trusted Dad's sense of style better than Mom's. Or maybe it was just the honesty, I don't know.

It has recently been suggested that some people think I'm naive. I know people used to think that about me, but didn't know they still did. I guess if I was naive, I wouldn't know it myself, but I really don't know if I agree. I may be idealistic about some things. Maybe I'm uninformed at times. Perhaps I'm even slightly airheaded? But naive? I guess its possible.

happy friday!!!

The pool is done. We finished it yesterday and it finally has enough water to filter now too, so the water is getting treated and cleaned and by Monday it should be fit for a swim. I would swim in it now, but we (and by we I mean Uncle Dave, Aunt Pam, and I) are possibly heading to the cabin for the weekend so I need to pack up and stuff. But Monday I shall return for a dive. :) Or even Sunday night.

I stayed up past my bed time (which now is around 21:45) last night making music mixes to take to work so I won't have to listen to crappy radio music. Every day the guys I work with listen to the same station - 97.9 GRD. And every morning there's this show on called Free Beer and Hot Wings. Took me about three days to figure out that those are the nicknames of two guys on the show and not a promotion to win beer and hot wings. Bummer. Anyway, I used to be annoyed by the show. From 6.30 when my shift starts till about 10.30 there's no music, just four guys talking or playing games. But after a while I started realizing how entertaining they are. Somehow they manage to spend four hours straight every morning just making fun of stupid people - kids, celebrities, polititions, foreigners, their listeners, each other, and themselves. They never fail to amuse me, if not with their hilarity then with their stupidity! But once the music starts, thats when I start to get annoyed again. They play the same songs EVERY DAY! No joke. And they play songs from the same artists over and over in one day... So I'm bringing some CD's and hoping the guys let me play them. :)

I got paid yesterday and found out I'm making a dollar less per hour than expected and paying more tax than I expected. Welcome to the real world.

money in account, 3 cents. game of mini golf, $4. Dinner and movie rental, $20. Being a girl and not having to pay for anything, PRICELESS!

I spent this past weekend mostly with Yolanda and Eric and it was one of the best weekends ever. Events consisted of going out to eat twice, watching a movie, mini golfing, coloring pictures, roller blading, seeing Scott Geurink, a beer at a bon fire, the Rockford festival, cooking, Eric missing his ferry, and spending an evening at the beach!

I am currently the poorest I've ever been since I started getting an allowence. I have .03 dollars in my bank right now and nothing in cash. Good news is I get paid on thursday.
I always wondered why everyone always writes about work, but now that I work 8 hours a day I've realized there's nothing else much going on during the week to write about. But all I want to say about my job is that it's not that bad. I get up at 5.30 am every morning and am done working at 2.45pm. I keep my mind busy by trying to break previous output records. And as long as I work hard the day goes by fast and I get exercise and I get paid for it. :) Plus, the people I work with are really fun and seem to like me since I'm one of only a small handfull of women working there, and one of the youngest of those. And yes, I totally take advantage of that!!
Tomorrow after work I'm helping my uncle finish fixing the pool. Then hopefully I can swim in it at least by next week!

I miss my music. I even dreamed (dreamt?) of it last night.

In other news...

People always say girls are full of drama, but the truth is boys are just as full of it. At work I'm pretty much the only girl in my area and the guys are always bitching about some supervisor who doesn't supervise, or some non-supervisor who's bossy, or some guys on third shift who don't work... (while of course in the meantime as they bitch they aren't working either.) And though said bitchings may have truth to them, I'm just pointing out that a flair for the dramatic is not necessarily only a female trait.

I've been back two weeks now. My whole trip to the Netherlands feels a bit surreal now, while at the same time I can't get it out of my head (not that I want to). I keep remembering good times there and I miss it. Now I can't wait for summer to be over and for school to start so I can move into my own place again, buy my own groceries, get my bike back and with it some freedom. I can't wait to be able to buy and drink beer again or invite friends over and stuff without feeling like I have to have someone's permission. But mostly I can't wait to be surrounded by people. People my age, and among them many personal friends. I even can't wait to have homework again so I have something to do on evenings when there's nothing else to do. Though that problem here could be fixed once my aunt and uncle's pool gets going again.

There is NOTHING worse than being woke up at 1am by menstrual cramps!! Sometimes I wish I didn't have ovaries.

same ol'

I've been back for over a week now. Today I realized I forgot how fat American's are becoming! seriously!
Anyway, I've got a new job. I'm working in a factory making panels for the chevy avalanche. It's not very fun, but its also not too hard or too fast paced, so I'm pretty happy with it. I get paid decently and maybe by the end of the summer I'll have some muscles to show off. :)
I'm living with an aunt and uncle (my favorite from my moms side). I've been noticing how much my aunt is like my mother!! They kinda look alike, laugh alike, talk alike, and have very similar manerisms. It's almost scary. Anyway, free room and board and no car (which means no expenses) = hopefully a very productive summer. On the down side, no car also = not going out much... So I'll just have to make it count when I do. :)
It's hot.

Don't you just love those weekends that are super exceptionally good? This weekend was one of them. I went to Eric's parents lake house with Yolanda to hang out a bit. Saturday we washed a boat and earned enough money each to go to the movies and watch Pirates III. I loved it!
Sunday we went again and met several extended family members of Eric's and Yolanda's high school teacher, who happens to be Eric's sister. They had a three-person ski-doo there. The weather was slightly on the chilly side, but the water was warm, so after being reassured that three-person ski-doo's never flip and don't splash much, we decided to take it for a spin - in our clothing. We went out to the other side of the lake and all was well. Then Yoli said, "Just don't do anything stupid, Eric." Eric said, "what? do something stupid?" and he proceeded to spin the ski-doo in tight circles. We thought we were in for it, but then he stopped and coasted and we were still dry. Yoli (in the back) leaned over to say something witty to Eric. Eric leaned over to hear. I leaned over to get out of the way. And somehow all of us leaning on a stopped three-person ski-doo made the untippable beast tip over! Oh shock and disbelief! But we tipped it back up, got back on, and after realizing the only casualty was Yoli's sunglasses, we had a good laugh and made a cold journey back to the dock. Good times!
Later I went back out for a tube ride on a three person tube (not unflippable) that was slowly losing air and becoming harder and harder to keep upright. Eventually a cousin fell off the right side, so Eric bailed off the back, and I inevitably flipped right over doing weird sideways summersaults over the water. More good times! :)
Monday I ate out at Perkins, had coffee at Starbucks, and played a VERY rushed game of mini-golf before rushing Eric home to "meet his curfew".
Great weekend!

time does not exist

It would seem I have this inability to not finish something I started even if it takes weeks or years... Take the book I just read, for instance. No matter how often I had to stop reading just to scoff at the stupidity of the book with its typical plot line and cheesy writing, I still couldn't bring myself to just stop reading it. But now it's over and I can leave that beastly thing on the desk of my sister (sorry Amanda).
Two more days here before I cross the big blue sea and return "home", leaving one sister 
behind for another (sorry Amanda). Thanks to my thoughtful family, I've got my own 
living quarters in my aunt and uncle's basement ready for me and a job as well! But as for tonight I'll be spending the evening with Amanda and Dane drinking beer and possibly smoking some good ol' hooka. Then tomorrow Amanda has to babysit so we'll stick around here and watch a movie - American Beauty.
I'd love to say more but, apart from having not much more to say, I've left my lovely sister to drink her tea alone (sorry Amanda), so I am going to go spend what little time I have left enjoying her company. 
Toodles.