Holly

My allergies are killing me tonight. I keep sneezing and blowing my nose. Hate.

Last night I finished washing down the walls of the living room with a half and half warm water and vinegar mix. I don't know whether or not it worked better than, worse than or the same as a commercail cleaner like Mr. Clean. Part of that problem is, I think, that the 3 walls that are painted with a matte paint, which doesn't wash well as you can just scrub the paint right off (gloss, satin, semi-gloss paints are much easier to clean). The wallpaper on the accent wall is in decent condition. The border around the top of the room is in decent condition. It looks good from the floor but up close you can see that it is pulling away from the wall a little. That is fine by me as, ideally, I'd like to remove the border. But I would like to remove the border without removing the wallpaper. The wallpaper seems much sturdier than the border, so it might be possible. If not and I have to take down the wallpaper, I will and I won't be too upset. The other three walls need to be primed (because the former tenants were smokers and I don't want any remaining grime coming through the new paint) and then painted. The trim should also be painted but there are a lot of layers of paint on the trim around the floor. It might need to be stripped and then painted. I don't know how much work that is though. My mom says that there are so many layers of paint on there that just adding another layer won't make it look any better. I am thinking I would like to paint the walls a cream (as the wallpaper on the accent wall is deep jewel tones, so it needs to be something bright and clean to offset that and not clash with the wallpaper or stained glass windows), so I suppose that the trim should also be cream. Though I think trim is generally painted an enamel. Though Andy shampooed the carpets before we moveed in the carpet in the living room is pretty dirty. I think if I get down on my hands and knees and physically scrub the crap out of it, I might be able to make it look nicer and not so grimy. Anyway, as I have straightened up and vacuumed tonight the living room, it is almost ready for my parent's to come this weekend.

Both bathrooms are also ready.

There is nothing good to say about work so I won't say much. The dread I feel each night for the next day's work is increasing and the anxiety I feel while at work is also increasing. I am not happy there. I am trying not to focus on it but I spend 10 hours of every weekday on my way to or from or at or around work. It's a huge part of my current existence. I haven't been sleeping very well. I am exhausted. I am waiting anxiously to hear from Gannett Fleming. I am so scared I won't get the job.

Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions as to where we could find window treatments. We needed curtains or shades for the guest bedroom as my parents are coming down this weekend and currently the windows are bare. I don't figure either mom or Budd wants to disrobe in front of the whole neighborhood. The window in that room is a bay window, so whatever we looked at for it, we needed three of. We checked out Walmart, Kmart. Target., Ross and TJMaxx but to no avail. We could not find anything we liked in the right size and colors for a price we could afford. We ended up ordering fabric shades from the JCPenney website summer clearance. These shades in particular in linen (which is pictured) for the guest room. I chose such a neutral shade as that room has a bright red carpet. The walls in there desperately need to be painted as they are a mess (the former owners pulled down wallpaper and then... stopped there... I think we're also going to paint the guest room a cream or an ivory as the carpet is red... I don't know what else would not either clash or be overwhelming) but that will have to wait. We also bought those shades in sage for doors in the mud room/laundry room. The price for those 5 curtains even with express shipping (which was expensive as all get out) was cheaper than the cotton tie-up shades at Walmart that only come in primary colors or neutrals. Check out the outlet at jcpenney.com if you need curtains they have some really nice ones for great prices!

Andy's first days of law school have gone well. He's enthused and working hard already. I know he's going to do great.

EDIT: I just opened a $222.36 refund check from our former cable company! Woo! Holy crap, that is so needed right now. I am stupidly excited and delighted by this.

So my testing day at AutoZone was this past Thursday. I had to go in and take some tests on their computer. I had to do a couple of them over again because I failed them the first time (and the second time on some of them) because I know hardly anything at all about cars/trucks. roses_in_may finished a couple of them for me. Ha. I asked her whether or not I was supposed to be retaining information from these tests. I am scheduled for two days this coming week, Tuiesday and Thursday. I am scheduled as driver, which basically means I'll be working for roses_in_may making deliveries and such. I thought it was kind of... silly... to put the girl who just moved to the area as driver since I don't have any clue where ANYTHING is but oh well. The time I'm not out driving I'll just hang out in the store, I guess. I'm not sure what to think about the job there yet. I definitely don't feel comfortable. Mostly because I feel like I have no clue what I am doing. I know I can learn but I'm still stressed and anxious about working there. I was there for 3 hours on Thursday and got paid for 8, so there's at least that. My title is parts sales manager. I don't know what that means. Ha.

On Friday I interviewed at American General Financial Service for their secretary position. I think that the interview went well. I was there for an hour and a half. I interviewed with the lady in the office I would be working most closely with if I got the position and after meeting with her, she had me meet with the head of the office and interview with him as well. It is a small office (4-5 people) and there would be days I would be there alone if I were secretary. I would mostly be maintaining databases and reports and such. All stuff that I know I could do. They have very good benefits and I know it pays more than $12/hour. And it's closer than the AutoZone job by like 10 min. I should hear from them by Wednesday.

On Tuesday at 4 p.m., a lady from The Patriot-News is calling me about a custom publications clerk position I applied for. I guess it will be like a mini-phone interview. She didn't call it that. Just said she wanted to call and talk to me for about 15 min. about the position. I almost desperately want to cling to the idea of getting that position because it's with another newspaper and I feel like that's all I know anymore.

I also still have to redo the copyediting test I took for the copyeditor position for the medical book company. I flubbed it up the first time and have to go over it a second time and resubmit it. I don't know if I'll do well enough the second time to get offered a copyediting position with the company but I am not to proud to try for it again, even if it means failure. I have to give it a go. I think working for newspapers and proofing AP Style has screwed me up for other writing styles.