tart.

just a little squeeze.

seven months ago i quit my job to pursue a new career. perhaps the country's staggering unemployment rate and my lack of experience should have alerted me to the possibility that i might not find a job... perhaps. after earning my teaching certification, a semester of substitute teaching and 1,989 applications/resumes... i am without a full-time teaching position. and while substitute teaching is proving to be quite rewarding (and chock-full of blog worthy experiences) the pay is less rewarding. so, in the interest of my financial stability and with considerable damage to my self esteem, i moved back home.

my old bedroom has been updated and is now a well-appointed guest room. this is an improvement i much prefer to the lisa frank stickers i'd artistically stuck to the mirror of my great-grandmother's bedroom vanity, lavender wall color to match (of course) the floral and lace lavender comforter set, and the impressive collection of stuffed animals. however, in this luxury guest suite i have yet to receive a complimentary breakfast-in-bed or a mint-on-my-pillow turn down service... clearly a management oversight! and the closest space... once upon a time, one tiny closet was more than enough for all my precious little clothes AND shoes. fast forward to today, and i've got that sucker so jam-packed that sometimes, most of the time, i just close my eyes, shove my hand in and hope i don't pull out two pairs of pants. i don't even know where my shoes are. which brings me to the second closet, once overflowing with toys, books, dolls and everything i shoved in there when mom said "clean your room," it now serves as extra-storage space for everyone else and all the things they don't have room for. isn't extra-storage nice? i wouldn't know. additionally, the window-seat, where i used to play teacher with said stuffed animals, and at least 1/4 of the rest of the room is stacked with boxes from my former life. the home-front is a bit crowded, to say the least.

but there's always the night-life... sort of. with a population just under 4000, this town doesn't exactly lend itself to an array of exciting and varied social opportunities. don't get it twisted, i do enjoy the local watering-holes more than i could ever express. but at some point a girl needs to put on some heels (and make up) and shake it... no, not two-step it, shake it! and i haven't seen anything even slightly resembling a carrie bradshaw-approved cosmo since i left the city limits. as for dining-out, if i could eat chicken-fried steak with cream gravy every day believe you me i would. but i can't, so i guess i'll just stay in.


things i wish i knew yesterday:
1. i can cry about this detour in my plan... or i can laugh.
2. if i misplaced most of the boxes stacked in my room, i wouldn't miss a thing.
3. the neighbor's rooster is a lot more effective (annoying?) than an alarm clock.
4. a delicious lone star light is approximately 140 fewer calories than a cosmo, and exactly 1,000 times more tasty!