Frustrations

I actually did take some pictures this week, I just haven't had time to upload them and then put words with those pictures.

I was really excited about the update for my iPhone that came out wednesday. We ran out of our internet usage for the month on thursday, when the download was just minutes away from being complete.

Right now, I am in a local coffee shop using their terrible internet. I didn't think that the internet could get any slower than our little hotspot we have. Well, it can. My plan was to update my iPhone and get some other stuff on the internet done. However, when I first plugged in my iPhone the estimated time it would take to download was 38 hours. I do not kid. Also, I managed to find a plug in, but it doesn't work. Currently, there are about 6 hours left but I think my computer will die before then.

Just checked the progress of the update and it is down to 4 hours, maybe there's a shot my computer will make it. Except I don't have 4 hours to sit in this coffee shop and wait for that to happen. Boo.

I'm actually not convinced the internet connection I have is even the coffee shop's. Maybe they got rid of the internet because the only people who come here are old folks. They are annoying and every time I look up at least one of them is staring at me. None of them probably even know what the internet even is.

269/365: The Bane of My Existence

The buildings on the right side of this picture are being torn down. These buildings are just a block away from where I live. So far, I have not seen any progress being made, other than the arrival of the construction destruction equipment.

However, I have heard what must be progress, or at least what I hope is progress. For several days it was the sound of sporadic jack-hammering. Now, starting at 7:30 every weekday morning I am delighted to hear the sound of sledge-hammering. What they are sledge-hammering I have no idea as no signs of progress can be made. I am told that the sledge-hammering continues until at least four in the afternoon.

You would think after so many days spent doing this that there would be something to show for it...


***Update: Apparently there was some type of gas thingy (technical term) underground that was being dismantled. Thus, no visible progress.***

237/365: Art & Balloon Festival

Tonight is the first night of Lincoln's Art & Balloon Festival. Watching the balloons is about where my interest begins and ends so Seth and I drove over to watch the balloons from afar and then went to the high school football game. Because we are cool like that.

233/365: Don't Judge Me

I live in a small town. McDonald's is my only option. Don't judge.

174/365: Scovill Zoo

The Scovill Zoo in Decatur is free on thursdays. Things I learned today.

I left my internship early to escape from all of the filing that was going on and snuck away to the zoo. On of the advantages to moving is living only a few minutes away from Decatur. (Usually not an advantage--but this is the zoo. And it's FREE)

Unfortunately, this is the only picture I took before it started raining. We didn't leave the zoo, but I wasn't about to take any pictures. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the zoo was. I think we'll be going back when it isn't raining.

147/365: More Moving

The only picture I snapped today. This rug is yet another item that has been in storage since we got married. Now, we finally have a bathroom that is big enough for this rug to be out on the bathroom floor.

137/365: Paint Chip

Last night I went to the mart and picked out every yellow paint chip they had. This isn't even all of them!

You see, I took a hideous shelf down in the kitchen only to discover it had been painted around. Not wanting to repaint the whole kitchen I decided it would be easier to try to match the current color.

I think I found a match...but only time will tell...

133/365: Key to my Heart

This is the key to our apartment. Literally. I almost died (in a good way)  when I saw it. It is like a childhood dream come true to actually have a functioning skeleton key. So cute and quaint, just like the apartment.

132/365: Love at First Sight

I saw this dresser and I wanted it. How can you not love it?

130/365: I Love it When a Plan Comes Together

Well after the crazy apartment hunting experience I had to go to a doctor's appointment. On the bright side, it was near a Target so I took the chance to indulge myself. While I was there I pretty much convinced myself that we needed to rent apartment #1. I discovered the solution to the lack of kitchen storage:

Apartment Hunting

We looked at apartments today. In smalltown, USA. Seriously.

Apartment #1 was above a car dealership. 

Pros: hardwood floor, 2 big closets, hardwood floor, heated floors in the winter (it's above the showroom), we can paint if we want, awesome landlord, and last but certainly not least--shared washer/dryer with the other 2 tenants (!!!!) 

Cons: smallest kitchen ever, very little cabinet/counter space

Apartment #2 is when things got weird.

Pros: good layout and lots of space

Cons: smells like old people, nasty carpet, probably weird landlord, creepy barbershop downstairs

Now, for the back story about the weirdness. I talked to the landlord on the phone and he said the apartment was a barbershop where his dad was the barber and if we stopped by his dad would give us the keys and let us have a look around. Sounds legit, right? Wrong.

We walk into the barbershop to see, literally, piles of stuff everywhere: on the floors, the counters, in the sinks. Everywhere. There were also hats everywhere. Hanging from the ceiling, hanging on the wall. Everywhere. The only things that indicated we were in a barbershop were the barber chairs (is that what they're called?) and a can of barbasol. There was also an old woman and an old man sitting at a folding table staring at us incredulously. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning.

The "barber" offered us some coffee, to which we said, "heck no" and got to work looking for the key to the apartment, which was quite the chore given the amount of crap in this place. He had to have had at least 20 keys he looked at, but none of them were the key to the apartment (side note: once we actually got to the apartment, we found that it was unlocked). He said he had to get the key from his son and would be right back. He also offered us a soda, which we accepted. 

There we were with the strange old people staring at us. With the "barber" gone, the woman took her cue and began talking incessantly. First, she informed us of the price of coffee at every single place in town that served coffee. (I learned that Pizza Hut serves coffee--$1.29 in case you are wondering). She concluded that "She comes here because the coffee is free." She then carried on about baking a chocolate cake that "was going to be richer than the devil." At this point the old man got up and started showing us his collection of military flags and his presentation concluded with him trying to sell some poppies (you know, the ones that veterans stand in the street to sell around memorial day?) to us. 

About this time another man came in without saying a word, but took his seat next to the other two and started staring at us like the others. At this point the woman started talking about all the farmland she and her husband used to own and how she raised her own chickens. Thankfully, another man came in and distracted her for a minute. However, he was carrying a plate of hamburgers and hotdogs so the weirdness continued.

About thirty seconds later the "barber" came back and had the key with him thank goodness. We practically ran out of there. We had a quick look at the apartment. Well, after we recovered from being knocked over by the smell of old people the moment we walked in. We took the key back to the "barbershop" and were invited to stay for some hotdogs and potato salad.

Needless to say, we declined and got the heck out of there! Apartment #1 suddenly seemed like heaven on earth.