Movin' on Up or Down or West or East

Well, guess who has to move again? 

In the unending saga of "Laura's Moving Again," I am front and center yet again.  Ugh.  Our landlords have decided that they want to live in our house.  I have no idea why.  It's tiny and theirs is so big.  I have no idea what they will do with 2000sqft of stuff in a 678sqft of house.  But, alas, it is their prerogative not to renew our lease.  I kinda figured that would happen because they refused to give us long leases.  I also figured it because I have the shittiest house luck of all times!  Really, read the blog.  I think the first one is about me moving.  I think.  One of them is.  So, as per usual, I have to move.

Now to make moving even more fun this time around, we have to be out just a mere two weeks after we get back from our honeymoon.  Awesome. You know when the best time to move is?  It's when you have just spent several thousand dollars on your out-of-state wedding and week long honeymoon which is all nonrefundable!  And, of course, people have to eat, buy gas, and that sort of thing on their honeymoon.  So, there goes any savings we might have had.  Yes, as a huge wedding gift we get to figure out where a deposit, pet deposit, money for movers or a moving truck, electric deposit, and all the expense that goes along with moving are going to come from!  Hurray! Hurray!  Here's to enjoying the only time I have ever had an actual vacation on my life. Hurray!  You just can't imagine how happy we are about this. 

Again, nothing against our landlords. It's their house.  It's just sucky timing.  Yay!

But, alas, we will get through it and live somewhere.  Our truck is small and can't hold two people and two dogs, so we must!

Soon To Be Bostonians

Or is it Bostonites? I like that better, but I am pretty sure it is Bostonians.

So, Kristy and Koley leave us next weekend to go to Boston for a year. Ugh. It is going to be an amazing opportunity. But, ugh.

In their honor, I have made an overload of salsa and guacamole for their going away party. You know how much someone loves you in this state by the amount of guacamole in you make them. I made them lots.

So, this will be 4 down! Damn, adulthood and all it's moving aboutness. We are a shrinking crew, we are (even though sects are growing. Kate is due March 5!). But, alas, 'tis life, I guess.

Boston. Home of beans. And soon of Kristy and Koley. We shall miss them. But, luckily, our cross country road trips are getting cheaper and cheaper. I mean, who needs a hotel when you get to hunker down on a couch for free!

But, in their honor, once again, I shall say it....Ugh!

Grocery Mecca, I have found Thee....

Okay, I am about to look like an adult here which I don't like at all. But, here goes.

Upon moving to a whole new part of town, I have moved to a whole new grocery store. I have clung to my HEB Hancock Center for some 10 or so years now. It is very central to every place I have lived in this town. Now, it is a bit of a drive, and there is an HEB 47 seconds away from our new place. And I mean 47 seconds. I have counted it twice. It f'ing rules that it is that close.

So, day before yesterday, the Jodster and I decide it is time to go in and pick up a few things. You can only eat out so many times before you are just broke. So, we go in. And what do I find? I find the greatest grocery store I have ever seen!

It is huge, beautiful, clean, full of all kinds of neat stuff that my old store didn't have. There is an entire kosher deli! Now, I'm not Jewish, but that is freaking cool! It's so super fancy! We are totally out of place, but I don't mind. I bet nary a Lone Star Card has passed through the place (don't get me wrong, I don't mind Lone Star Card recipients because I am about $32.34 away from being one myself. I am just saying, they have never been here.) For real, this place is awesome! See...



Do you see the shine on that floor? And look at the length of that aisle! And this is only one of three! three!!! cooler aisles! The vegetarian section is so big it is on two aisles! It's like a haven for Amy's products! Oh, there is a Jesus, and he shops at the Jewish HEB! But, seriously, do you see that shine on the floor? They clean the place! It's incredible.

Then as we turn a corner, what do I see? This...



A Dr. Scholl's foot pressure measurer thingy! Jody and I had just talked about wanting to stand on one (well, I talked about it. He listened nicely about me wanting to look up where to find one and driving to it because even if it had been in San Antonio, I would have made him go find it!)! We turn the corner, and there it is! Hallelujah! Turns out I am a 430, and Jody is a 330 (we didn't buy them because they are $50, and our feet are fine). Bunch of flat footed archless losers, aren't we? Wait, you don't know because your store doesn't have one! I love this store. I do.

Now, we didn't do hardcore shopping because we were hungry. Oh, and let me say just one last thing about it...9 types of tomatoes! Nine! I make salsa all the time, so having that many types of tomatoes to add to it is awesome! But, we are going tomorrow to do actual shopping shopping. Sadly, we are on a budget because moving always costs about a thousand more dollars than you think it will. And this place is magnificent! So, it is going to suck to budget shop. But, alas, I am an expert at it at this point.

So, there is my happiness at living 47 seconds from the most super awesome whooper doopity doo HEB! And the parking is good. Oh, I am a happy girl.

The downfall of moving? We can't find our dishes which is forcing us to do stuff like this...



Yes, I had to eat my pizza off of a cutting board! Now, it's Mangia pizza, so you have to use a fork and a plate. It's freaking good. But, how sad are we?

Unpacking and grocery shopping, here we come. This weekend shall be fab!

Moving, Omlets, and Douchebag Sorority Girls....Ah, what a Friday night!

Well, ain't a whole lot has happened in the past few days. We are looking at new places to live. I think we are going with a place in the Far West area. I never thought I would live over there. But, it's clean, cheap, and close to enough crap that it is convinient. It beats the hell out of living in the semi-ghetto we live in right now.

Don't get me wrong, I love it over here! I do. I am a ghetto person. But, sometimes, you just have to move on. So, that is what we are doing. Well, we kinda have to because we aren't renewing our lease because the house we live in is falling apart. Not horribly. Well, somewhat. It's just time to move on.

I sure do hate moving. I do. I really hate it. I'm not even good at it anymore the way I used to be. I think I have gotten too fat and too old to want to do this anymore! Also, I am too lazy. And, it is too hot! For real! But mostly, I just don't want to do it. But, I guess I am gonna.

New Subject!

Last night, the Jodster and I went to the Star Seeds. It's a fairly decent dive restaurant. It used to be a lot divier until this douche bag restaurant bought them, but that's another story.

So, we are sitting there, and this girl at the next booth kept asking the waitress the most ridiculous questions. She actually had the waitress go to the kitchen to ask the "Chef" (that's what the dumb girl said) how he prepared the chicken in a couple of dishes. Now this might sound reasonable at some places, but here, it's not. It's retarded! Just to give you an idea of why, here are some pictures of the place.




That is the whole thing. A few booths and a counter. The chef doesn't prepare the chicken. He cooks that shit! This is a restaurant that I have had a waiter bring me food with his track marks bleeding. I am not lying. This isn't a chef restaurant!

Then she kept asking about things on the menu even though she didn't have one with her. She asked things like..."What do you have?" Seriously! The waitress was trying to recommend things, but she was liking them.

"How about a breakfast taco?"
"What's in it?" (what's in it? Is she retarded? What ever the hell you want to be in it!)
"Well, lots of thing. They're good, and they are pretty big."
"Well, that sounds too big. I don't want that. Do you have regular tacos?"
"We do. They come with..."
"Wait, I don't want that."

At this point the waitress reaches over the counter and grabs a menu for the girl and hands it to her.

"I don't want that. Just bring me some queso. (Of course. After all that, like the dumb sorostitute she is, she orders something like queso.)

"You want the appetizer sized queso?"
"Well, yes."

Then the douche lets out a big sigh and falls back in the booth like she's exasperated.

Are you fucking kidding me? I really wanted to go over and punch her. For real! She was such a douche. Here is a picture of her that I had to take because she was an asshole. It's a crappy picture, but I got what I could get.



See her over there leaning against the wall. She had a dirty look on her face the whole time!

And the awesome part was the queso and chips where huge! I think they might have given her an extra big one because she didn't want anything big because it all seemed to be too much. And can someone explain how a breakfast taco is less anything than a large order of chips and queso? I would think the queso would be worse for you. But, what do I know, I am not a stupid,spoiled 18 year old sorority girl with a permanent sneer. Luckily, other than "I can't talk to her because her face is so ugly" and "Why don't I have more tea? Where's the girl?," I was able to block her out for the rest of our meal. Thank goodness for good company, a yummy vegetarian omelet, and my new friend Frenchy the Snooty French cup of Coke.

Really, the girl was a complete asshole, and not in that good kind of asshole way I like. She was more of a twat, I would say. Of course, this is what happens to Austin every August. The influx of a whole new crop of 18 year old douchebags! Luckily, many will drop out for reasons such as: binge drinking and failing classes, gaining weight, getting a complex, becoming depressed, and dropping classes, or getting pregnant and dropping out. So come October, it is more normal. Still full of dickheads like that girl above but less of them.

So, that is all for me for now. I am off to either grocery shop or pack boxes. I can't decide which I want to do less, so it is difficult to decide. Maybe I will just sit here and watch TV. No, I know I will just sit here and watch TV.

That is all!

June Cleaver, I am not!

You know what sucks? Making a grocery list on a budget. We are moving soon (more details soon!), so we are budgeting like a son of a bitch because moving is super pricey. So is graduating from graduate school (or any school). So we are on a budget. And, man, our meals are getting boring! Any suggestions? I mean, how many times can you have sandwich night, spaghetti night, taco night, stir fry night... you are getting it, right? Boring!

Is this any way for two modern people in their 30s who are shacking up to eat? Aren't we supposed to be eating fancy, cool, modern meals? Hell, I can't even think of any! I need help. What kind of a woman am I that I pawn off most of the cooking on the Jodster? And then when I do it, it's super boring! Cereal night, anyone?

But, luckily, the Fellow has show starting up again next week (different band, not The Wooden Birds), so maybe we will do our normal budgeting...groceries, then eat out for a week. That's how it usually happens. Maybe we will be good, though. Uhauls ain't free! Neither is anything having anything to do with moving. Ugh a loo!

Oh, wow, this is a boring blog. Sorry, Folks (or Folk). Yes, boring, but anyone have any cheap and somewhat vegetarian friendly meal ideas? By that I mean, I can make anything vegetarian if need be. But, if it is beef pie with a bacon crust and a side of minced chicken...well, you get it. Oh, and don't worry, the Jod eats the meat. Hell, he loves the shit out of the meat! And, I would never deny a man of his meat. He looks too damn cute when he gets that glimmer in his eyes when he grills to let that go!

So, give me some help. I have become an unimaginative freakazoid! Ahhhh!

The first of what will not be many because I am lazy

Well, I decided that since on the occasion I blog on the myspace, I should get a blog of my very own. Well, I guess the blog on myspace is a blog of my very own. But, you know what I mean. Who "you" is, I do not know because I am pretty sure no one will read this. But, you never know. There is that "you" again. I shall just state that henceforth I will use you a bunch of times, and there is no reason for me to explain that I am a dork who will use you to address probably no one.
Okay, enough of that rambling mess. Now to the important stuff.

Moving! I just did it. I hate it. I think I hate it more than anyone in the world. I have moved so many times that it isn't even funny. I have moved a lot. So many times, that I should be a pro by now.

Nederland to Shreveport
Shreveport to Scotter
Scotter to Ashland
Ashland to Dell Dale
Dell Dale (or is it Dale Dell) to Welbeck
Welbeck to Strick Lane
Strick Lane to Woodforest
Woodforest to Pittsburg #1
Pittsburg #1 to Pittsburg #2
Pittsburg #2 to Pittsburg #3
Pittsburg #3 to Woodward
Woodward to Pleasant Valley
Pleasant Valley to Royal Crest
Royal Crest to Aptos
Aptos to San Fran # 1
San Fran #1 to San Fran #2
San Fran #2 to San Fran #3
San Fran #3 to Huntwick
Huntwick to Fairmount
Fairmount to Fairlawn
Fairlawn to 37th St #1
37th St #1 to 37th St #2
37th St #2 to new place

(some of those are streets whilst some of them are towns)

Okay, that is 24 times. I have moved all my possessions (along with all of the possessions of many others) 24 times. I am 32. That's a lot. And, I might be missing one or two. I feel like I am. But, I will go with 24 times at this point.

And, seeing that I have moved this many times, you would think I would be an expert. I am a semi-expert. I can pack the shit out of some boxes. And, once I get going there is no stopping me. But, I do things in a weird way. I pack tons of stuff way to early. I have an off time gauge for packing. Like I take stuff off the walls to soon, so it makes the whole place desolate and echoey. Then I pack up all the plates. So, we got nothing to eat off of. Just odd things liket hat.

Then, for some reason, I always decide I need to throw tons of crap away. And in deciding to do so, I start a gigantic pile in the middle of the living room. And that pile grows and grows. And that pile starts to get in the way of the rest of the packing and moving. And that pile starts getting caught on people's feet and begins to get strewn across the apartment. Papers get stuck to your feet. I kick that stupid old piece of "art" that I found in a dumpster across the living room where it settles under the coffee table. The pile starts getting huge. The pile then aquires things I don't want to throw away...one of my Converse, a Schneider toy or eight, a drum stick. So, it just turns out to be a big pile of crap in that takes over the whole living room! Yay!

And, I have decided that I am grown up enough now to consistently dust my house. As a youth, my mother had this insane obsession with dusting. And, it was my job to dust. I dusted everything that had even the slightest bit of wood on it. Every frame, couch arm thingy, table, cabinet (for which we had millions), everything! I had to bust out the Pledge, spray it down, and wipe it with a rag. I hated it. And, because of that, I have had an aversion to dusting (well, that and my overwhelming need to be lazy). But after several (24) moves filled with incredibly dusty entertainment centers, hutches, and book shelves, I have decided that I will dust. Hell, even the back of my recliner was dusty. No one sits in it, so that went unnoticed until I lugged the damn thing across the room. So, I think I will take on a grown up responsibility and just start dusting. I see why my mother was so insistent on it. I must say that in that instance, my mother was right (not so much with the nose ring being a phase) I also know that she didn't do it herself. I did! This is one reason to have children. So they can clean for you.

I have also decided that I will never move again until I buy a house! Never. Now, I have said this before. But, I mean it this time. Okay, I may not be buying, but I will not move again until I can afford movers. I thought about it this time and decided against it. I didn't regret it until about 20 minutes after we started loading up. Then I decided not hiring movers was the stupidest thing I have ever decided not to do! But, thanks to great boyfriend and friend (and some other random movers), everything got loaded and unpacked in a timely manner. But, it still sucked. It was 290380293898 degrees and later it started raining. So, next time, when I move into the house I am buying, I will hire movers. Of course, I have said this in the last 11 of my moves. So, I probably will not. But, I am going to say I am.

But, now we are in the new place. It fucking rocks. It is so cute. So 1973. So me! It has a rock wall! A rock wall, people! Do you know how long I have been looking for a rock wall? Well, I haven't specifically. But, now that I have one, I freaking love it! It is the cutest house ever! And I live there. Well, me and the mister live there. Oh, and the weiner. Did I forget to tell you about the triangular windows? Well, it has them. And they are so cute. They are to die for! Here is the front of it...



It kind of looks from the front like a dentist office. And, oh how I love that!

Now it is all down to the unpacking. I suspect that things will stay in boxes for some time. Not a super long time because I get a bit anal about that kind of thing. But, for at least a couple of days. But, we have a porch and a yard and a BBQ grill and a whole lot of room! Heck we have a whole music room. I'm no musician, but a room complete with a drum kit, guitar, electric drums, a harmonica, a squeeze box (that's my contribution), a mixer, a computer filled with a whole lot of cool recording software makes me feel like I am (hey, no one rob us, okay). I swear, having a musician boyfriend is a whole lot of fun.

Well, that's enough of my babble for now. Moving is such a moving subject. Oh, look how witty I am!

Later