Just North Of Normal

Lover of music, collector of coffee mugs, drinker of wine, and dancer in all places public and embarrassing.

[justnorthofnormal]

I played mom at the bar the other night and went to babysit one of my drunk friends. On the walk home she gave me a “30 second summary of my attitude” because I didn’t want her to pee on the side of someones home. 

[justnorthofnormal]

[justnorthofnormal]

The Safest Place on Earth

Since the third grade I've been going optometrist and it's one of those things that never changes. Now as an adult I can drive myself and speak for myself about what I want, what I like, etc. But the machines are still the same, whirring away in a dark room. I recently had an appointment with my optometrist and went through the same old routine but this time I thought something I've never really thought about before.

Any one who has ever been to the eye doctor has had air puffed into their eye or handed a clicker to click when you see a shaking light. My favorite has always been the machine that contains the little red farmhouse on top of the hill. I've been to many different doctors but the little red farmhouse stays the same. Sitting at the end of a dirt road lined with a white fence and surrounded by lush green grass. That's where I would go if I could just drop all my adult problems. It seems like the most quaint place I've ever seen. It was very odd but I longed to jump into the machine and stroll up the drive to a safe little place away from the world...

and then I got pulled back to reality and got a stern talking to about changing my contacts more often.

[justnorthofnormal]

My tears start and stop like a scattered shower. 

My heart breaks, echoing like thunder in a valley.

I'm diminished to a puddle and you've tromped on me not feeling a thing through the mindset that is your rain boots.

[justnorthofnormal]

Sounds of Summer

Bees buzzing..... buzz buzz

Children laughing.... what fun

Water splashing.....no seriously don't get it in my eyes I have contacts

ice cream trucks playing a little tune.... a dreamsicle please

AND OH MY LORD THE SOUND OF TEN MILLION FLIP FLOPS FLAPPING AGAINST YOUR DAMN HEELS AS YOU TROMP AROUND CAMPUS SET ME ON FIRE  

[justnorthofnormal]

Life tips

If you turn your radio up loud enough it's like the problems with your car don't even exist....unless the problem is that you have no radio... in which case I'm sorry for your loss.

[justnorthofnormal]

Financial Aid Fury

So I've just finished my 3 weeks of being a temp for my old college. I was a secretary who answered admissions calls, switchboard, and, more often than I would have liked, financial aid calls. As it is almost time for school to start, all the procrastinators of the world are coming together and deciding they want to go to college. Some of these families wanted to wait till the last minute to fix their financial aid, and of course with only two advisers, calls got behind a bit. The advisers also had to work with the walk in students who were physically at the college. So this means that I got yelled at a lot on the phone for the past few weeks. *weeee*

I learned a lot of names and phone numbers of people who were just rude. Here are just a few lines I got:

"I've called every day for the past three weeks and left multiple messages ever day and no one has called me back."  Yeah that's not possible because I hand write a lot of those messages and I'm sure at least one would get through.

"Oh finally a real live person is actually answering their phone today!" Unfortunately for me, yes. 

"I don't want you to take a message down again and I don't want you to transfer me to a voice mail." Okay then do you wanna talk about my new rain boots?

So I decided I should host a financial aid showdown. I'll pin all my least favorite financial aid families against each other for a large grant for their kid's financial aid! I'll sit on the money and watch the challenges and then at the end I'll split the money with a kid who actually had all his financial aid in place a month before classes start. 

Lesson: If you're going to act like a peasant, you will be treated like a peasant. If you want to speak to a human, you need to act like a human. Being nice really isn't hard. I promise.

[justnorthofnormal]

There's a lot of this happening lately

So two girls I know met the other night and I guess they connected over me. Like one of them said they work somewhere and the other was like "oh my God do you know Jackie?" and they just talked about how much they "love me and think I'm amazing and hilarious". That felt really great to hear. I guess you don't really ever think about how your personality and how you act impacts people. Two people got super excited about knowing me and liking me and I'm just baffled by it because I mean....I'm just Jackie. 

[justnorthofnormal]

I Must Be Getting Really Good At My Job

It only took me 2 hours at work today until someone on the phone said "you don't know what you're talking about. You're a stupid bitch."

[justnorthofnormal]

Things I Hate

YOUR DIRTY ASS WHITE FLIP FLOPS EW

[justnorthofnormal]

Work

"So he has to get a parking pass?"

Yes ma'am all students need a parking pass. It's $53 a semester.

"That's F***ing ridiculous. Why does he have to buy that."

If your son wants to have a car here it's a requirement.

"But why does he have to pay for it."

...obviously because staff pizza parties aren't free.

[justnorthofnormal]

I've Been Tagged

Rules:

Always post the rules.

Answer the questions asked by your tagger and ask eleven more.

Tag eleven people and link them to this post.

Actually tell them you tagged them.

I was tagged by imfeelingrandy

1. Do you think more about the good times of your past relationships or of the breakups?

   I try to think of the good times of my past relationships the most but I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about the breakups as well. It’s hard not to be bitter about those who wronged you.   2.Where did you have the best restaurant meal of your life and what made it the best?

   The best restaurant meal I’ve had was at a steak house in Alabama. Matthew and I went when I was visiting him during his summer internship this year for West Point. It was amazing filet mignon topped with spiced shrimp & I also ordered dessert (I never have at a restaurant before) and it was a slice of chocolate sin cake topped with strawberries. I think it’s the most expensive meal I have ever eaten in my life but that’s not what made it good, it was getting to eat dinner with the man I love as I seldom get to do.   3.What place do you most want to visit that you have not yet visited?    I would love to go to Alaska! It is definitely towards the top of my bucket list. I of course would need to go twice because I want to witness the midnight sun as well as the northern lights.   4. Marvel or DC?    Marvel!   5. Do you want children? If so, how many? If you have children, did you have the number you planned for?    Absolutely, but not for a quite a few years. I think 3 is a good number to have.   6. How do you feel about the role your parents played in your life?    It is absolutely no secret that my mother and I do not always get along and I think we can agree that we can only handle each other in small doses. She would never admit it to my face, but I know what she says to others. I think that she has made me a stronger person, maybe not in the best way, but I’m stronger nonetheless. I just wish I wasn’t so bitter towards her for the things she’s done. I definitely take after my dad. Although I didn’t get to see him as much as we wanted growing up, I worked with him for 2 years and he lives only 15 minutes away. He’s always made me laugh and I believe that I get my sense of adventure from him. I definitely want to be the kind of parent that he is.   7. Do you think you are paid fairly at your job or were you at your last job?    Currently I get paid minimum wage as a sales associate, and $8.00 an hour as a temp at my old college. I’m too tired and  blinded by the bliss that I’m actually going to have enough money for college to worry about whether or not the wage is fair.   8. What is one completely inconsistent thing you do that you know doesn’t fit with anything else (yours rules / personality) but it’s part of you and you’re not letting it go?    TBA   9. Would you ever jump out of an airplane?    Can I have a parachute?   10. What fashion thing are you seeing right now that makes you roll your eyes most dramatically?    Those damn high top sneakers that have wedges hidden in them. It’s basically a high heeled sneaker? I think those are so stupid.   11. If I only asked you ten real questions, would you be mad?    No hard feelings.

I will tag and post my questions when I find time to myself again, but for now I slumber.

[justnorthofnormal]

Checking In

I now have a second job and it's a real live, grown up person, 8-5 job. So my days, nights, and weekends are all booked up. (hooray for being able to afford school books!)

Thankfully I don't have to work anywhere this Sunday. Frank Sinatra could rise from the grave and ask me to do something for him and I would still probably tell him "sorry, it's my day off."

So that's what's new. Tune in next week to make sure I haven't spontaneously combusted from stress.

[justnorthofnormal]

My life and bedroom are on the same level of hot mess right now

[justnorthofnormal]

Since it's finally my birthday here's a throwback to a picture my older brother drew for me a few years ago involving my love of penguins, twirling, and cheer.

[justnorthofnormal]

"How's your vision?"

Well my glasses are thicker than my thighs so...

[justnorthofnormal]

Got out of bed.