What's wrong with this picture?

When my alarm went off this morning, I woke up feeling that something wasn't right. Then I realized what that feeling was: It was 2:30 in the morning and I was getting up. Well, technically I was pressing the snooze bar- but, hey. Today I worked the opening shift at Starbucks and I had to be there at 4:00 am. The Starbucks where I work opens at 4:30 am. I informed my coworkers this morning that that's too early, and we're going to change it to 8 am. Yeah right. Actually, I open again tomorrow. But on the bright side, it means I get to put in a full day and still be off work by 12:30. Still, taking a lunch break at 8:00 am does feel weird.

Today was my first full day actually training on the floor. As with any new job, it seems like there is an overwhelming amount of information that will take about 12 years (or sometimes as much as eleventy billion years - depending on the person) to learn. But most of the customers have been patient and my coworkers have been helpful and I know as time goes by I'll improve. I am enjoying the job and definitely taking advantage of the free beverages. Today, for example, I had two Iced Caramel Macchiatos, a Strawberries and Cream Frappucino, and an Iced Mocha Valencia. Yeah, it sounds like a lot, but it's really just one drink each break and one after work. If it weren't for the fact that I opened, I probably would have had another one before I started work. So in conclusion, it's not that much. Okay, I lied, it's a ton and I'm wigging. Okay, I lied, I'm not really wigging, my body is used to caffeine overload; I'm just weird. I gotta go, though. I went home for a couple days and brought a ton of stuff back with me (I know that seems hard to believe- 2,000 lbs is a lot. But somehow it all fit in my brother's Jeep Cherokee). Because of my work schedule, I haven't had time to put everything away and clean up since I got back. So I think I'm going to go take advantage of the next couple of hours to clean, before I need to go to bed again!

One more thing, I'm going to use my brother's technique for getting feedback. The question of the day is: What is the earliest you have gotten up in the morning for work or some other commitment? The alternative question (I'm listing 2 questions to improve the odds of getting feedback) of the day is: Would you rather work early or late? Why?

I don't feel like coming up with a title today - deal with it.

The past week has definitely been interesting, if nothing else. Saturday I moved up to Renton with the help of my family and a couple of friends. After we had everything unloaded, we got some dinner and then everyone but Jessica and I headed home. Our cousin Jennifer, who lives in California, was in the area for a conference and we were planning on getting together. So Jess and I had about half an hour to get ready before we left. Needless to say, nothing was really unpacked. Well, Jen was in Everett. I knew that was north of Seattle, but I didn't realize how far north it was. Renton is just south of Seattle and it ended up taking us 40 minutes to drive to where the conference was. Ugh. We finally got there, though, and it was really fun to see Jen again. She and her husband were leading worship at the conference, so I got to hold their 3-month-old daughter during the whole service. Yay! After the service was over, Jess and I went to a Denny's nearby with Jen, her husband, their baby, and their band. We hung out there for a little over an hour, then we had to leave to go pick Laura up at the airport. Her plane had been delayed, so she was supposed to be getting in around midnight. The original plan was for us to stay at my place that night and drive to Centralia in the morning. However, since we didn't have time to settle in at all, and I had forgotten a few key items (a shower curtain, for one), we decided it would be better to drive back that night. So after picking up Laura, we went back to my place to grab our stuff, and headed for Centralia. We got there around 2 am. So lots of sleep was had by all. Not.

After church on Sunday, I rushed home to throw my things into the Jeep (I'm driving my brother's Jeep right now) and head to Seattle. I had an interview at Starbucks at 3 and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to get up there. It was a good thing I did, too. There was a surprising amount of traffic for a Sunday, especially going through Tacoma - it took me about 20 minutes to go 3 miles. Yuck. Unfortunately, the A/C in Jonny's Jeep needs recharged, i.e. it doesn't work. As it was a hot day, the almost-2-hr-ride was therefore Not Fun Times. I got to Starbucks at about 2:45. They gave me a free drink, the interview went well, and I was asked to come back for a second interview on Tuesday. My mom came up later that afternoon with a bunch of stuff that I greatly needed (the aforementioned shower curtain). Then we bought some groceries and came back and watched a movie. She stayed the night with me then left the next morning. Tuesday morning I went in for my interview and got the job! Then I had cable and internet installed that afternoon. The rest of the week has been extremely uneventful. One might even say boring. Yes, that seems to be the appropriate term, boring. I can't wait to start working. Then I will at least have people to talk to. During the last few days, I don't think I've spent more than 10-15 min per day talking to another human being. It's such a weird feeling. I did start talking to myself yesterday, though. That didn't take long. I go in tonight to fill out my new hire paperwork, then I start work tomorrow. And not a moment too soon. You know those people you sometimes see talking to themselves? The ones who sound like they're having a conversation with someone, but as you look around to see who it is, you realize there isn't anyone? Yeah, I know who you mean. I saw one at the mall yesterday. Really? What a coincidence.

Just a little note..

I thought it would be fun to put up a link to the ad for my new apartment. It has pictures of the model apartment. Aside from the furniture, it is exactly what my new flat will look like!

All I can say is, "Wow."

God is amazing. I know that and have known that for a long time now, but I still never cease to be amazed at the things He does in my life. I think it has to do with the fact that although I know God loves me personally, it overwhelms me to think of the things He does specifically for me. God overwhelmed me yesterday. Halfway through the day, I found myself saying over and over again, "I can't believe it. I'm so happy." I couldn't stop smiling. But I'm getting ahead of myself, I'll start from the beginning...

Last week, my friend Laura asked me if I could take her to Sea-Tac airport on the 9th (yesterday). As I don't have a job right now, I told her that shouldn't be a problem. Thinking about it later, I decided it would be a great opportunity for me to look at apartments and apply for jobs in Seattle. My attempts to find a summer job in C-town had been unsuccessful and I was beginning to feel like it was time for me to move up to Seattle anyway, so I figured I should take advantage of the fact that I was going to be in Seattle. Once I decided on that, I realized that I would also need to pick a date to move up there. Any companies to which I applied would doubtless want to know when I would be available to start work; also, if I found an apartment, I would need to tell them when I would be moving in. Not only that, but if I was applying for jobs, I would (hopefully)be called in for interviews. So I thought, "Why wait? I might as well move up on the 13th and set my availability date as the 15th." However, that would mean that I only had one week to get a car, an apartment, and a job.

I spent quite a bit of time looking at ads for apartments and jobs. In the end, I chose 10 apartments to look at and 8 jobs to apply for. I printed off directions to everything as well as 10 copies of my resume, and left with Laura and Julianna at around 6:30 am yesterday (stopping at Starbucks on the way to the freeway, of course). Shortly after 8, we dropped Laura off at the airport and headed for the first apartment on my list. When I was researching apartments, this one had caught my eye. From the pictures, it looked like it was a really nice, really big apartment. It was a 2-bedroom, but it was only $700. The 1-bedrooms I was looking at were $550-650 per month, so I thought that if I could get a 2 bedroom for a little more, it would be worth it. Then I'd have an extra room if Jess decided to move up there, or I could find a roommate and split the rent. Anyway, I called the day before and the guy I spoke with told me that they probably wouldn't have an apartment available until the 22nd at the earliest - annoying. But I was still hopeful, so we went to this place first. It's beautiful, not to mention really big. It's 1,150 square feet! The apartment complex also offers free parking, an olympic-size swimming pool, a fitness center, and pool tables with equipment. Not bad, huh? We found out that to move in, they only require first month's rent (prorated) and a deposit (which is significantly less than one month's rent). Not only that, but they are currently running a special - $400 off the first month's rent. In the words of Ricky Gervais (or David Brent, whichever you prefer) - that's mental!

After the leasing agent gave us a tour of the apartment and the apartment complex (she took us around in a golf cart - fun times), she asked me if I was interested. I told her I was, and if they could have the apartment ready by the 15th, I would be very interested. So, she said she would see what they could do and let me know. On the way back to the office, I asked her how much they rented the 1-bedrooms for. If they were much cheaper, I could always move into one of them and then move to a 2-bedroom later if Jess moved up. She told me they were $650 per month, but if I wanted a 2-bedroom, she could rent one to me for $650! Obviously, I didn't have a problem with that. When we got back to the office, she gave me a leasing application to fill out. While I filled it out, she spoke with one of her coworkers. Then when I gave her the completed application, she told me that they could have the apartment ready by the 15th. I was ecstatic. I did my best to maintain my composure while she took care of some paperwork. She told me that she would let me know in the next day or two if my application had been accepted or if they needed more information. I didn't even bother to look at any other apartments. I was sure I had found the right one.

As we drove away, we decided that it would be a good idea to drop off some resumes at some local businesses. It would be nice to have a job near my apartment. There was a shooping center about 5 minutes from the apartment complex, so we drove into the parking lot. Julianna saw a Seattle's Best Coffee and suggested I apply there. I declined, telling her that I'd feel a bit like a hypocrite since I go to Starbucks several times a week and firmly believe that it is Seattle's best coffee. Then we spotted a gym and thought that would be a good place to start since I have relevant experience. As I was sitting in the reception area filling out an application, however, I could feel guys looking at me and I remembered what it was like working at a gym. A free membership would be nice, but I decided that the place wasn't at the top of my list of places I'd like to work. After I went back to the car, we started driving around the parking lot to see what other businesses were located there. Lo and behold, Julianna noticed a Starbucks! Coincidence? I didn't think so. I had been considering applying at a Starbucks somewhere in Seattle, and just that morning Laura had encouraged me to do so, saying that the benefits were great and it was a good job to have. Excitedly, I grabbed one of my resumes and quickly headed into Starbucks. I asked one of the employees if they were hiring. He replied that he wasn't sure, but I was welcome to fill out an application. So I sat down and filled one out. When I handed in my application and resume to the manager a few moments later, he asked me if I could come in for an interview at 3:00 on Sunday. Seriously. I'm not kidding. Trust me, I was a lot more shocked than you are. He hadn't even looked at my application! I agreed, of course, and in a daze, I groped my way to the door and managed to find the right car in the parking lot. There I tried to relay my tale to my sister, but I mostly just grinned.

Oh, I forgot to mention the car. My mom told me last week about a website that was advertising a '99 VW Jetta (that's a VW Bora to the Brits) for just under $5,000. Blue book price is around $9,000. I called and found out that it was a theft recovery with some vandalism done to it. The seller is having Volkswagen build him a new motor for the car; he's also replacing the interior and painting it. It will be done in 3 to 4 weeks. I spoke with him Monday night and I'm going to buy it! In the meantime, I'm going to drive my brother's Jeep (which will help sell it, since I'll be in the Seattle area - I may even be able to get him a better price than what he was asking). If I end up selling it before my car is ready, I can probably just walk everywhere. I don't think it's more than a mile from my apartment to Starbucks, so there you have it!

It may seem like I'm jumping the gun a bit. After all, I haven't been approved for the apartment yet. Not to mention the fact that I haven't been interviewed at Starbucks yet, let alone hired! That doesn't matter to me, though. The moment my sister said that she saw a Starbucks, I had a feeling that was the place I would get a job. Then when I was asked on the spot to return for an interview, it only confirmed it for me. I felt the same way about the apartment. I thought it might be difficult to do all three things in a week, but essentially, God made it happen in 2days. So now I guess I just need to pack, because I'm moving on Saturday!