what we worked for

The apartment:

rules. It is so good, and I guess I am partial because I found it and chose it but the hardwood floors and the balcony are really great. The living room is completely empty which feels weird to be in it because everything echoes and there is no where to sit except for the dusty floor. Maybe I will sweep it today. I have been enjoying making my own food although as of yet I am living alone and it doesn’t seem worth it to cook just for me. Also, vegan cooking takes a lot of time. Probably no more than non-vegan cooking, but I can’t stop and get a snack at most places on my way home from work, which is when I am super hungry. I have been eating tofurkey sandwiches with cilantro for lunch and oatmeal for breakfast. Last night I made baba ghanoush and then passed out at like 8 o’clock. Today I think I will make the lentil soup that Johnny and I purchased ingredients for on Saturday from the Italian market. I am also trying to pick up a sweet leather (non-vegan, whatever) armchair tonight if these people respond and it’s still available and I can fit it in my car and find someone to help me out with it. I want to go to Trader Joe’s soon (I’ve never been) and also an Asian market near Heather where there’s blocks of tofu 2/$1 (?!). I went to Ikea for the first time recently. Overwhelming. I like their organizational stuff, not the furniture as much. I guess I hardly looked, though, because it was all way over my budget (which is about $20 per piece of furniture and to be honest even that seems like a lot).

The job:

Kind of like The Office with no cute Jim Halpert running around. And no funny weirdos like Dwight. Maybe nothing like the office at all except a lot of awkward exchanges at the water cooler and me goofing off at my desk. So far I have had some training sessions and now I am working on completing an 8-hour instructional course on the IRS website to learn to do taxes for other people as a volunteer. I was bummed that it is outside the city and still am a little bit, I definitely should not bother with public transportation to come here as it is more expensive than driving and completely out of the way, but now I sort of like this little town. There is a lot of neat-looking stuff and I think it would be easier/cheaper to do grocery shopping here after work or even during my lunch break than in Philly. What’s really neat about this job location is that it shares a parking lot with a Goodwill where I purchased a small table yesterday ($10) and a pair of boots the day before ($4)

On Fridays in a town a few miles from here, Philabundance holds this Fresh for All thing where they give out free produce to those who need it and my fellow VISTAS and I are going to make a practice of going on Fridays during lunch. This Friday, though, we are going to center city for first aid training. Pretty neat. I have to get tested for TB and also, drugs, sometime soon. Like today.


Today at work has been spent looking at free furniture on craig’s list. There is a lot. Matt suggested we try to have nice furniture rather than makeshift college furniture. I support this thought, though beggars can’t be choosers, I don’t want ugly furniture in our pretty apartment.

A lot of animal collective songs have sounds that are similar to those that a person would make breaking into an apartment. Also, loud banging on doors.

Living alone is weird and unpleasant, to me. Next week will be more fun.
Also, not having the internet supersucks. I feel like I’m on a desert island when I’m in my apartment, not being able to communicate or look stuff up or download music or uh make blog posts. Or watch dvds or listen to cds or upload pictures, since I don’t have a computer, either.

I’m going home Friday to get more stuff and my paycheck from RK. I can’t wait until everything is all in one place.

Key items on the list to bring back:
Bicycle
Drumz
Plants (basil, parsley, aloe, lavender)
Floor lamp
Food
Kitchen things
Tape
Remaining clothing
Fingernail clipper

On Friday maybe I will also post recent pictures, since you’re all dying to see, I bet