Last night Keely, Judy, and I went to Club Expo, which I guess is Pollyesthers transformed on Friday nights. We purposely got there late since it has been our experience that these clubs don't really become fun until midnight. Thankfully, it wasn't as crowded at the Sunday nights that we've gone, the nights when the thought actually runs through my head, "What if there's a fire and all these people storm the door and I get crushed?" One dancefloor was hip hop/house music and the other side was 90s. What a flashback to my high school and college days! Anyway, none of us drank and no one was dancing up on us and that was fine. But then in the last half hour or so, all three of us managed to hook up with someone. My guy was, of course, inebriated, but not drop down drunk. More like a little goofy. He twirled me a lot, which was cute. He was cute in general. Claimed he was a law student. He called me a hottie, which I know came from the drunkeness. And, he kissed me on the neck, which I love. There was the normal kind of kissing, too (Is this more information than you want?) and when I left he asked to exchange phone numbers. After we finally begged a pen off a cab driver and wrote the numbers on the palms of our hands, he of course asked if he could come with me or if I would go to his place, to which I coquettishly avoided. What a male! lol I doubt that he will call, but the thought of the minute possibility is nice.
Dancing and twirling around with this guy that seemed to be attracted to me, albeit drunk, made me feel the least reserved than I have in a long time. Why does it take a guys attention to buoy me like that? I hate that. I want to be giddy like that on my terms and not a slave to the erratic patterms of random male strangers. Stupid low self-esteem. Dammit! But it was fun all the same.
Today is very lazy. Here it is late in the afternoon and I am still wearing pajamas, not one stitch of anything put away. Well, I'd better get to that!
I got to work pretty late today; it seemed silly to bust my butt getting here at my usual time when I know full well that there won't be much, if anything, to do. It is so windy out! As I crossed the 520 bridge, waves splashed over and hit the side of the bus. That happened last year at this time, except I was driving that time and was petrified. It always seems to be the south side of the bridge that churns and splashes so much. I am sure there is some kind of meteorological or geological explanation for the phenomenon.
I got my home computer hooked up to the cable modem last night and WOW is that cool. I downloaded songs so fast!! It totally rocks. I also got my bathroom put together finally. I bought two little shelves that I hung on the wall in the living room and put my stereo speakers on. Oh and switched my bed around to be closer to the solitary electric outlet. Of course I need three plugins...I'll have to get another extension cord I guess.
So, with Tim's help, I am finally moved into the new apartment. Mika and I love the new place. Last night I finally got the kitchen in order. I even took my grandparents' china out of the box and put it out since I have, for the first time, plenty of cupboard space. Granted, it's not your conventional cupbpard setup, but it's fine just the same. The living room is in okay shape; I am still not exactly happy with the setup, but the narrowness of the area is rather limiting with my couch. If only the couch were about six inches shorter...but, I can never get rid of that couch since we had such a hard time getting it in there. :) My room is in okay order and the bathroom won't take long. The real problem area is the office/library. I've been throwing all the broken down boxes in there rendering it unwalkable now. The computer isn't even set up, which as you all know, is just about killing me. :) My calves are sore from walking up and down and up and down and up and down the stairwell at the old place. Thank goodness I live on the bottom floor now. All in all, it was a rather easy move. I was completely unrealistic about how long it would take. I've never moved all in one day before, always over the course of a week or so. I thought all my stuff would fit in one 10' U-Haul truck and it would take a couple hours max to move everything. Oh was I wrong. It' took 2 truck loads, a full car load, and a car and a half load of misc. stuff to get it all over. Anyway, all that's left is to scour the place so the roommate is placated. Oh, and find a replacement for myself at the old place so I don't have to pay rent at a place I am not even living...
I am wearing my santa hat today, "I've been naughty" facing out. I don't think I've been naughty...but I like to make people wonder. I just had to put up a few Christmas decorations around the new place yesterday. So I hung three ornaments on some pre-existing hooks and then a string of lights around the living room. Quite festive.
Perhaps I am too sentimental, but I am sad to see all my stuff in boxes, all my things off the walls, my two years in the apartment reduced to carefully packed and stacked cardboard towers. I continue to assure myself that the new place is a world of improvement. But there is still a part of me that wishes that I was the one staying. Oh well.
Tim came over last night and helped me get some more boxes. In case anyone wonders, the cardboard only dumpsters behind the Redmond Gateway and Safeway stores are an excellent source. I told him not to pack anything; I really just wanted some company, but he was kind enough to do so anyway. He's quite good, so I deferred to his knowledge. Afterall, he'll most likely be carrying some of the boxes, so who better than him to pack them? :) He tweaked his neck somehow a couple nights ago and hopefully will recover soon since even some easy things like driving was difficult or uncomfortable.
Today is such a nice day! Hardly cold at all. Yay!
So, I am finished with jury duty and can now discuss it. It was a good experience. The worst part was the two hour commute to and from Kent for three days. On Monday morning I was the seventh person selected in the first round of people for the first case of the day. I figured that unless there was something about me that one of the lawyers didn't like, I was going to be a juror for this case, and so I was, and so I am glad that I was. It was a civil suit regarding a rear end accident that happened two years ago. We didn't have to decide upon guilt, since the defendant admitted liability. What we were there for was to decide upon the reward amount that the plaintiff ought to be awarded. It was a short case, only three days total including deliberation.
What I was intruiged most with during the case was observing the differences in the lawyers' style. The plaintiff's style was old school. He was an older gentleman. He seemed to be constantly floundering for words, he asked the same question about a million times, he wasn't as put together, which I noted by his continually slouching socks. The defense lawyer was younger, maybe in his 40s, and more polished. One thing that I really admired about him was that he never attacked anyone, even when there was ample opportunity. The best example being the cross examination of the plaintiff. Now, when she testified under her own lawyer's questioning, she was not very verbose or savvy about her conditions and at times seemed to be quite upset by his questions. I braced myself for her reaction under the cross-examination. He could have pounced on her but he was quite gentle with her. I understand that that is also part of maintaing favor in the jury's eyes: had he been merciless we might have sided with her. He actually stuck around for our verdict, as opposed to the other guy who listened to our verdict via a conference call. We got to speak to the defense lawyer afterwards and I thought that was pretty cool. He asked us how we got to the amount we got to and we got to ask him things. I didn't know that that was an option.
The judge we had was pretty cool, too. The judges on tv always look cranky. Judge Lum was all smiles and tried to lighten the mood at time. He even gave us a brief history of the jury serving and selection process. I was surprised to learn that even just 10 years ago, juror had to serve for a month: if someone served as a juror on a case and it lasted only a day or a week, afterwards his/her name was added pack into the pool until the month was served. That would suck!!!
All in all, I was impressed by the process and happy to be a juror; it helped that my case wasn't too stressful or time consuming. I felt important. I had a strange thought as I waited for the 565 to show up for the last time, though. Here I've spent three somewhat intense days with six other people; we got to know each other and ate lunch together sometimes, and we made a decision as a group that impacted two people's lives, and now I probably won't ever see them again. And this was just on a small scale, I can't imagine what it would be like to serve on a murder case or a month long trial where the weight of the decision is enhanced and the time together even longer.
While I was gone, I see that the moving fairies didn't pack any of my belongings. How rude. I have about six boxes packed. I have a lot of books. Whoever helps me move is going to hate me. :)
Last night after the Writergrrl Christmas party, Tim and I went to dinner at Stella's, an Italian restaurant open 24/7. For being nearly eleven when we arrived, it was quite busy and Tim put our name on a waiting list to be seated. When our turn came around, the host called out, "Harrisons? It will be just a moment." This, of course, was quite amusing since we are not "The Harrisons." We are not ever going to be "The Harrisons" either. Last week when we were out shopping for apartments, Tim introduced himself to Jillian, one of my future landlords, as The Chauffuer. When I met with both landlords, of course they asked if my Chauffuer was my Boyfriend. "Oh no, just friends," I said. It was an easy assumption to make and I wasn't offended, but amused. Some day I hope to be a party of "The [insert last name]s." But for right now, I am simply Nikki Jones.
The rain is pretty dismal. I was drenched yesterday walking to and from the grocery store. Water seeped into my cell phone rendering it unusable now. Hopefully they will replace it without much problem. Today I slept until 3:15 pm! I couldn't believe it when I looked at my watch. Hopefully I won't be up all night now. I got out for awhile and walked to Redmond Town Center for some shopping. I thought I wanted to sit in Borders, but upon getting there, realized I was too famished and their assortment of pastries wasn't beguiling enough. So I left and went to Red Robin. Eating alone in a restaurant is always disconcerting to me. I don't like it. I feel like a loser. Then, I went to Target amd bought a cheap DVD player since soon I will be without one and now I have DVDs. Now I am back home, sequestered in my room, of course, and Mika is so cute plopped down on my desk watching me type. Hopefully roommate will go to bed soon so I can let her run a bit.
Tomorrow I travel to Kent to serve jury duty. Hopefully it's all done tomorrow and I don't have to return subsequent days. That would really suck. I wish I had a laptop to amuse myself with tomorrow.
Nikki on 12.15.02 @ 08:30 PM PST [link]
It occurred to me as I looked at the pictures I posted yesterday, that once again, I find myself in a group of three other girls, just like high school. Four is a lucky number for me. Here are a few more photos from the photoshoot:
Some of you expressed confusion when I talked about a photoshoot that I was involved in. Well, here are a few pictures from it. Keely hired a photographer that she is friends with to take pictures of Suganthi, Judy, herself, and me one very windy afternoon on the Kirkland waterfront. She plans on doing something with them for Christmas for us, but it's all top secret.
I am desperately combing whatever services that I can think of in search of a replacement for myself in the apartment. I am so impatient; I want someone to reply immediately after I post. I am speaking with someone right now, but it's a guy, and I know that the roommate prefers a female. But maybe he'll be hot and she'll want him. :) I just want to know as soon as possible. I have a frantic feeling. I keep worrying that I won't find someone because of the holidays, etc. Then what will I do? I really really want this apartment that I tentatively have. I can't imagine continuing the search. This one seems so perfect. And, I am also worried about finances. Trying to breathe deeply. Trying to remember that worrying doesn't help. Trying to remember that this is always what I do and most times things turn out alright.
And in the midst of worrying about all this, I am also worrying about my job. As it looks, I won't be able to get extended unless I can fanangle it as a vendor. But I know that will be tricky. What will really suck is if I don't get a replacement so I have to give up the apartment and then when I finally do find someone to take over the place I will be unemployed, thus making convincing a prospective landlord difficult that I can afford a place a little tricky. This is worst case scenario. Worst case scenario hardly ever happens. Right?
What happened to the usually optimistic Nikki?
She moved out about three months ago.
I can talk a little more openly about things now. I am probably moving out of my apartment of two years. I've found a lovely apartment in Wallingford. It's listed as a one bedroom, but I think technically it's a two bedroom. The second bedroom will be my office/library. It doesn't have a fireplace or dishwasher, but the tradeoff of having my own place, where Mika can roam and I don't have to be scared that she will make a wrong move or "smell" is worth it. Plus it's in Wallingford (Seattle), not too far from Tim or Wendy. I'm moving to the city!! I talked to the couple renting the place last night and they are really nice. I talked to my roommate this morning and so basically, I can leave as soon as I find a replacement. I'm excited. Sad that we didn't make it work, but like Wendy said, this wasn't a marriage. I'm not going to go about slamming her on here, either, despite wanting to in my more frustrated moments. I am simply going to pack up my stuff, scour the place so she has nothing to complain about, and leave when I get the opportunity. It was a worthwhile experience that I don't regret.
I hope that this is the first good thing to happen, that it will turn the tides back to my favor after a year long absence.
I broke down and told Keely about stealing her sweater from her room. I had this great plan to take pictures of the sweater all over, like it was enjoying life with me now. But then I called her today to tell her about the apartment and I just had to tell her. I have to take it back to her, though, so she can take it to Wisconsin. I hope it enjoys it's last trip there with her. lol
Where the heck am I going to find boxes???
Tim was magnanimous enough to chauffeur me over the northern Seattle area looking for...well, I can't say exactly what right now since I don't know who might be reading this. Anyway, I found one that I really liked and could afford and am now waiting to find out if I can have it. Of course, that's not the only thing I have to wait for...I know, this is incredibly cryptic. You can ask.
I even wrapped a few Christmas presents last night. Of course, there's no tree or decorations up, but perhaps the wrapped presents can be the decorations...for now.
Saturday night was Sunganthi's birthday party and it was great fun. We started out eating at the Rock Bottom, followed by dessert at Keely's (she made some scrumptious Better Than Sex cake!), and then we went to the UW Husky's hockey game. We got there a little late; one period was over by the time we walked in, but it was still quite enjoyable.
Earlier in the day I met Tim's new kitten, Bansei. She is superduper cute and has an adorable little mew. She resembles Pudge (my old cat from back home) a bit.
Something odd is going on with my site. That'll teach me to do a redesign on my own. Stay tuned.
I read the traditional e-mail message of introduction of the group that I interviewed with but didn't get the job (they moved over to join my group this week). It seems that the person that was hired for the producer position is also named NICOLE! What?? Of all the names...So I looked her up in the address book and it appears that she is a support analyst currently. They don't do production work! Where is all this "experience" that she has that I supposedly just don't have yet? GRR.
So here are some pictures from this past weekend's excursion to Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, Canada.
It's time to start thinking about the annual Christmas letter that I write inside my Christmas cards. As I started to think about it, I realized that this has been a dismal year. Take a look at the "highlights":