Independent Woman?

Spoiled by a car

2008-10-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

After totaling my car in August, I have not been behind the wheel of a car. This week my parents went to philadelphia for a week long conference and left me their car. I brought it to the city and thought I would hardly use it. I was wrong.

Instead of walking the five blocks to my friends house, I started driving. I would take my car to the playhouse in the morning and ride the shuttle to class, by passing the horrible morning transit system. Groceries? No problem. I'll throw them in the trunk. Now it is Friday and I must take this beautiful novelty back to its rightful owners. At this point I am unable to fit even the junkest junker into my budget.

Cold at the bus stop

2008-10-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I feel as if fall came with little to no warning. I went from sandals to a winter scarf over night. Now that I live off of campus, this may be a problem.

I am one of those people that makes a cacun to sleep in. I have a fuzzy blanket, a bed sheet, and a comforter that all wrap around me making it hard for me to breathe. I am so warm and cozy it takes me little effort to fall asleep, but in the same makes it very hard for me to wake up. Who wants to move in the morning when your toes are cold and your fingers frostbitten?

One thing that I guess I didn't take into consideration when moving into my apartment was when our heat would be turned on. This is in the hands of our landlord since he pays for it. I can see us getting far into November before the ratiator blows anything but cold air. This could be a problem and lead to my eventual hibernation for the winter.

Comcast not coming through

2008-10-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

Now I never as one that watched a whole lot of TV. Maybe a few nights a week in the summer I would slide onto the couch and through my feet up for some quality channel surfing, but never would I consider myself a junky.

My roommate and I decided to go with Comcast when selecting a cable provider. They got us hooked with their college deals and recieve internet and cable from them. Not only was it incredibly had to set up, but now also it is incredibly hard to get it to work period. It has been out for four days and I am really bugging out about it. More then I should.

When I come home, it is nice to throw on the TV for background noise, or something to keep my kitty occupied. He loves to see other animals on television. It seems now though that it is not working that I am really freaking out about not seeing my CSI reruns or the occasional Rachel Ray while eating my cereal in the morning. Especially because we are paying for it.

For $66 a month, I should not being having these difficulties. Friday they could fit us in around 4:00 p.m. to take a look. This too will cost us an arm and a leg.

Seven Eleven

2008-09-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

Since moving to the city in mid August, I have had three jobs. Usually my track record with employment is pretty good. Since the age of 15 I have had one job or another. But my last ventures have not worked out positively.

My last two years of high school I worked at the Target on Rt. 30 in Greensburg. I started as a cashier and then little by little learned other areas in the store. I took pride in my work and eventually became a well respected employee. Though some days I would complain about the customers or about the management, I would say I had it pretty nice. I guess you don't know what you have until it's gone.

I thought I was doing the right thing by getting hired at the Market District Giant Eagle before I had even moved into my apartment. I banked on a pay check by the Friday after I moved in. Orientation went well and everyone seemed very friendly and caring. Little did I know that when it came to my first shift, I was going to be lost in a vast sea of other employees. The company I believe was very disorganized and though they promised to care about you and your needs, it seemed to slip their mind often. I worked the three to midnight shift and quickly began to despise all customers and management. I only lasted four days until I called and told them I regretfully must never come back.

After Giant Eagle I decided maybe I was burnt out on cashiering and would try another trade. I began waitressing at a very conservative resturant. With no experience I figured I had some how tricked them into hiring me. But I soon came to relieved, I was the one being dooped. Again another job that left me going home steaming mad. I felt like I was constantly being judged by old rich yuppies that have obviously never been told that they were stuck up and incredibly rude. Suprisingly I lasted there for two weeks.

Now I have just returned from my first day working at 7-11 on Pitts campus. I am back to my cashiering days and it feels so good. It must be my calling...

Help

2008-09-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today I witnessed a cocaine deal.

On my front yard.

So much for a quiet, safe neighborhood. Don't tell my parents. Daily I stand at the bus stop with sketchy characters and nightly I hear the yells of drunk people coming out the bar. Yesterday I even over heard a couple of guys plotting to break into a car. So do I ignore this?

Signing a lease is like making a deal with the devil. How could I know if I would be happy here? And now I'm not, but Lord knows I am stuck here until August of 2009. Maybe I should invest in a good can of mace and a nice pair of earplugs...

Going Home

2008-09-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

When choosing a school to attend after high school, one large thing I considered was location. I wanted to be at a distance that gave me my independence but also allowed me to go home when I needed. The Westmoreland Transit takes 90 minutes to take me from Pittsburgh to Greensburg. It also costs only $4.50 one way. That is just a little more then one gallon of gas.

When I take the bus around 5:00 p.m. on any given work day, I sit amongst a lot of business suits. Today I sat next to a guy that looked to be in his thirties. He was reading what seemed like a gosh awful text book on database entry. I could not help but notice his attempts to keep his eyes open. He was nodding off so frequently and at one point, the book fell from his lap. I had the urge to ask this man if he enjoyed his job.

Many people travel from the city to the suburbs every day. At this point in my life I enjoy the fast paced city life, but always enjoy going back to my parents house and relaxing on my quiet street. On this particular day, I could not decide if I wanted to ever return to Pittsburgh. Things have really been getting to me lately. Whether it's school, work, or friend pressures, I have become very overwhelmed. It makes me question my ultimate goals in life.

After seeing The Death Of A Salesman this weekend, I felt very down. Am I working to be ultimately tired and defeated? I found the play to be very well done. At the end, I was even tearing up. The play portrays a man that works all of his life to in the end find little happiness and little success. I think this is a question that plagues a lot of people.

Tomorrow I will wake up and go back to face those pressures. Sometimes I wish I could just sleep on my parents couch forever...

Kitty on the 54C

2008-09-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

On August 17th, 2008 I was driving into Pittsburgh from Greensburg around 11:30 p.m. I stopped at GetGo on Route 22 in Delmont to get a boost of caffeine for the drive. My mom never liked the idea of me driving in so late at night on account of my uncanny ability to fall asleep doing just about anything. When stepping out of my car, I heard the crys of a kitten. I turned to see a little black cat under gas pump number seven. This broke my heart. I turned to him and began to call him over, thinking I had no chance of holding the frail animal. To my surprise he walked over to me and jumped into my arms. I knew then that this would be my new companion. I had no choice but to take him off the tough streets and into my life. I called my friend in Pittsbugh and alerted them I was bringing someone along. I stopped at the store and purchased food, litter, and a tiny cat toy. Since that first night when he slept in my arms, we have been inseparable.

Of course, Hoodcat (HC) wasn't perfect. He had an assortment of bugs and very dirty, infected ears. He was also very skinny and bony. After calling every vet in the greater Pittsburgh area, I reached Penn Animals on Penn Avenue in the Strip District. They were very nice and kind to HC, unlike some of the vets I called or visited. They took care of him on the spot, no questions asked. He received shots and medicine that went to work in no time.

Now one month later, HC is 12 weeks old. He gained 3.5 lbs and is bug free. I took him back to Penn Animals today for his second set of kitty shots. This time he got to ride on the bus. Unlike most animals I know, he loves his carrier. I barely have to try to get him to run in and lay down. He was a perfect angel. Little did he cry or whine on our trip. After receiving care at the vet, HC and I went for a walk around the Strip District. He received a lot of attention and petting from random strangers. These people also talked to me, telling me funny anecdotes about their personal pets and thanking me for taking HC to the vet. I found it odd that so many people were grateful for me wanting to care for my animal. I find the only way to treat your pet is like a best friend. He will stay by your side and grow to love you.

If you are in search of a new vet that is very considerate and relatively cheap, check out Penn Avenue Animal Hospital in the Strip District for all your pet needs.

Wicked Good

2008-09-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

My mom has a group of friends that make it a point to meet twice a month besides their busy schedules. They catch up and laugh the hours away enjoying each others company. Sometimes they even invite me!

Today I was lucky enough to get to see the musical Wicked at the Benedum Center. The show was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. The music and acting along with the lighting and atmosphere was enough to give me chills. I knew a little about the story before seeing the show, but thought the script was a very touching story of friendship and love.

It was the perfect event to enjoy with family and good old friends. Wicked is showing in Pittsburgh through October 5th. Visit Pgharts.org for more information on

this show and many others!

Bike-PGH

2008-09-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I was on my way to the bike shop on Penn Ave to get some help with my bicycle. I call her "Blue Monster," because she is pretty heavy and I thought invisible. I was on S. Millvale when I heard a car coming up behind me. The car began to pass me so I moved closer to the parked cars. Right after the car moved ahead of me, a lady in a parked car opened her car door. My elbow got clipped and I fell into her car and then onto the road. I survived with only some scrapes but my bike was a little less lucky. I had to walk the rest of the way to Garfield, steaming the whole way about the incident.

This rattled my confidence. A friend of mine once told me when we were riding down East Carson that the number one way a biker gets hit by a car is by incautiously swung open doors. He told me I should ride more in the lane, but I always felt weird about it. As a driver and a biker, I can see both plites. Who wants to be stuck behind a bike rider in a car? And who wants a car riding up on you while you are on your bike? After doing some research, I found a very handy map that plans out Pittsburgh and its safest routes to and from the greater Pittsburgh area. The Bike-Pgh website has great tips and tricks for city bikers. They also have ways to get involved and fight for bike rights. Even if you don't ride a lot, as a driver it is always great to look out for others interests... Who knows, maybe one day you'll open your door at an inopportune moment.

Sleepless in North Oakland

2008-09-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

This morning I set my alarm for 9:00, 9:15, and 9:30 a.m. This leaves me an hour to hit my snooze button every five minutes twelve times before I have to actually be at the bus stop. However I find that I have been sleeping through my alarm more often. I am an obsessive compulsive phone checker and live and die by little reminders and my annoying alarms, but lately, no matter how often and how loud I set my alarm I wake up five minutes before I have to leave the house. This is only due to my kitty pawing me in the face looking for play time.

The website www.eightstraight.com offers different ways to get better sleep that will make your day easier to face. I know my personal problem is sleeping less during the weekdays and then trying to catch up with 48 hours of sleep on the weekends. Who knew that was unhealthy?

Dirty, Dirty, Dirty

2008-09-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

I have dishpan hands at the age of 19. There is a good chance they are pruned permanently for the rest of my life because of dirty sink water. Why, you ask? Well it all started way back when during a time when my head came only barely above counter-level. Helping my mom cook and clean, I admired her ability to whip up a spotless, orderly house in a matter of an hour or so. Now here I am at my first apartment and I wake up from a nightmares of dirty laundry strangling me and a living room covered in clutter knee deep. I open my eyes and reluctantly stutter into the kitchen this morning to get a bowl of cereal. To my surprise (or not) there are no bowls left. I look over my shoulder to see the dishes forming their own great wall of China, all laughing at me and mocking my disheveled nightmare-hair. I proceed to then spend one hour cleaning the kitchen. I deal with the dishes, the overflowing trash, and the over all explosion of open food containers. I spent fifteen minutes alone sweeping up kitty litter thats all over the floor (I'll get to that later!). Then I spend one hour in the living room picking up other peoples messes, before making it to the bedroom to then lay down from exhaustion. Something tells me I don't want to be a stay-at-home mother after all....