Day 25: A first, in great detail

The first time I lived on my own.

I was 19 and attending Portland State University in Portland, OR. It wasn't a far move from home but it was my own little place with a twin bed, desk, mini fridge, dresser, sink, and walk-in closet. There were co-ed bathrooms on each floor. I brought in a small television, shelf and various knick-knacks to really make it my own. It was on the first floor of the building and a friend of mine would come and knock on my window to walk to class together occasionally. My little room was pretty nifty.

This is similar to what my room looked like. (from pdx.edu)

Front of the building. (from pdx.edu)

I had some good times and not so good times. My stay here was fairly short as other issues took priority over school and I enjoyed working at the nearby Quiznos much more than going to class. You can see where the problems may have been. Um..yeah.

Just because I know you are dying to know what I am up to...

--Tonight was popcorn for dinner and this amazing apple crisp for dessert.
--I went to go see a lady about a couch tonight. In the boonies. I (as always) got lost but eventually found my way there. If I can fit the damn thing up the stairs and through two doorways, it is as good as mine.
--Buying the couch will mean that I have even less money.
--Buying the couch WILL also mean that my back will not hurt every morning.

--The reason I like working better than school is because work rarely ever gives you homework. I do not like, look forward to, or do my homework but when I actually get around to it, I kick its ass.
--I know I am in the right place because even though classes are hard, they are really interesting. I get a little pissed off that I can't join all of the student affairs professional organizations and I always feel like I could be learning or doing more.

--One of these days I will have health insurance. I will have this insurance strictly for the fact that I hate having to call up medical offices and beg them to give me a payment plan. Really lady, I am not trying to not pay my bill, just give me a break and a whole lot less attitude.
--I get to see a dear friend this week AND have another state on my belt. Woohoo, Ohio!
--I renewed my Netflix and it feels great. I missed it dearly.

--Absolutely everyone is talking about Fall actually coming. I know it was the first day of Fall this week but it was at least 85 here with crazy humidity so I doubted it. Today it was 84 BUT there were also huge wind gusts of 45-50MPH so that was fun. Yes, I did look crazy in my skirt and flip flops while battling to walk upright. Thank you skirt for not flying up over my head and flips for staying on my feet.

--I love Friday nights. Ya know why? Because when I go home, I have Project Runway, Grey's Anatomy and all the other shows available online just for me to watch. I make dinner (popcorn does count), get in my jammies and plop down in front of the computer for the best shows.
--I HATE that they have to have different versions of shows just for the fat people. I watched some clips from "Say Yes to the Dress: Big Bliss." Um, seriously? BIG BLISS. The normal people get no tag lines but apparently there is something wrong with those big girls. Even when they had that dating show for overweight people, all they would ever talk about is how much they eat, how they struggled with their weights their whole lives and how they could never feel comfortable with themselves. Skinny girls have food issues too! Oy. It just annoys the hell out of me.

From Razor to Reclaim

(I am on a posting role tonight....hope somewhat interesting!)

My phone, a (RED) Razor, has served me well. It started to take a turn during my last employment at nConnect because I put it in the same pocket as my name badge that had a very strong magnet attached to it. I knew that I was in trouble when my hair clip was attached to my phone and it really shouldn't have been. The battery has been draining a lot faster and sometimes I don't notice so the phone calls either never come through or I can't answer because the battery is on low. Around the time I moved, my contract came around to renewal which means I could upgrade my phone if I resigned.

My last work situation helped pay for a majority of my phone services including the upgrade to a data and text package plus more minutes. I got used to using the Internet on my phone (something very new to me) and being able to text easily. It wasn't a terribly expensive plan but once I moved here, I need to cut some expenses so there went the fancy phone package. I downgraded to fewer minutes and no data or text. This is odd considering the phone I chose though since it would make emailing, texting, Googling, and Facebooking much, much easier.

From Razor to Reclaim. 

I got the former phone because it was also free but proceeds went to the (RED) organization.After all my issues, I wanted a nice little phone that could last me for another few years. The Samsung Reclaim is all sorts of fancy in my book:

This is no ordinary phone. Designed with more eco-friendly components and packaging, you can go "green" without sacrificing the advanced features you love - full QWERTY keyboard, instant access to social networking sites and personal and work email, Sprint One Click, 2.0 MP camera, Stereo Bluetooth® and more. Visit sprint.com/green to learn what makes Sprint a leader in environmental responsibility.

Highlights

• Made from 80% recyclable materials with 40% of the casing made from corn-based bio-plastic
• Sprint One Click Green Tile - Instant access to eco-friendly content for every area of your life

Even the packaging is environmentally friendly and quite spiffy: