It is all coming together nicely.

I started at the bar last night. I work with a couple guys and 4 girls and they are all actually really nice. It was a soft opening last night so it was all friends and family of the guys who own the place, Peter and Paul. Paul bought me a scotch and champagne was free for everyone last night too. Considering I only had 3 tables (it was a slower night) I made almost 50$, which is pretty good. Tonight is the grand opening... its supposed to be insanely busy. Hopefully the snow doesn't scare everyone away.

Apprenticeship is going good. Sterilization of the tubes and stuff is officially my job. Along with grunt work like cleaning the bathroom and dusting. But its all good. Each toilet I scrub is one toilet closer to my tattooing license. :)

Been getting to know the shop guys better. All very nice and excellent artists. Ryan, one of the guys, is gonna tattoo me when we are bored. So next time everyone sees me I might have a hefty dosing of new ink.

Be prepared!

It has begun!!

The tattoo shop was inspected (and licensed) this afternoon! I hung out at the parlor all day. So far, I am just drawing. As much and as often as possible to get my hand skills back that I lost since high school. I'm not gonna lie, its nice to not HAVE to use my computer.

Any ideas for drawings, lemme know! I'm happy to do commissioned paintings/drawings!

I start training at the bar on Wednesday afternoon. It is a fancy-pants kind of place so lots of businessmen and lawyers. Hopefully status translates into tip percentage.

Met a BUNCH of people at the parlor today while I was hanging out. Planted some friend seeds, and everyone so far seems pretty darn cool.

Oh, and I am being sent out at night to pimp the parlor. That means going to bars and clubs schmoozing and handing out business cards. Excellent...

The plant has been named.

May I introduce you to my house pet...

He is a Miss Cane tree, from Lowes.

And his name is Ichabod Cane.

Today is a good day.

I got a job!

I had the most ridiculous job interview ever at the Buckle this morning. I was supposed to be there at 11, and I was. I was told to shop around while the manager got ready for the interview. Then the usually pushy sales people had me try on jeans for 20 minutes, despite me telling them that, being unemployed, I could not afford a $150 pair of pants. Then the manager came and asked me about 6 questions and told me he would call me.

I wandered around the mall a little bit and stared at the Paul Blart's rolling around on there Segway's with helmets. I also noticed that they have two Abercrombie stores... does anyone else find this strange?

Anyways, I returned an application to a downtown lounge/bar today as well, and was offered the job on the spot. I shall be a cocktail waitress at Dice. Works perfect for my hours and tip money is almost always better than being paid by the hour...especially in a bar.

I've been working out and feel good... spirits are high, all things considered.

The parlor is all but finished... we are just waiting for the health and building inspectors to come and check everything. We shall be open soon.

Unnamed plant

Howdy out there everyone!

Its been a busy few days! (relatively speaking) Mom and Adam came here for the weekend and my apartment looks much more like a home now. I have my Grandma Kuhn's 1960s floor-to-ceiling lamp complimenting my 70's couch and my ginormous bean bag chair. Also, mom bought me a little palm plant thingie for my living room, and its awesome. But it needs a name... any suggestions? I can't bring my puppy here, so for now, this plant is as close to a pet as I get... and my only company at night. (Kind of sad, I know...ha)

Mom also got me an awesome bookshelf... unfortunately I significantly overestimated the amount of stuff that I had to put in it. Adam and I put it together yesterday...bonding time. :)



Still no job, but I am returning an application to a brand new (not actually open yet) bar downtown called Dice, so hopefully that will pan out. I'm ready to meet people and be able to spend money again.

Fattie fat fat.

Joined a gym yesterday... hopefully I can get some social time there. Also, I bought it instead of cable... a gym membership here is cheaper than cable, and each machine has its own television and DVD player. This way, I can work my fat butt off whenever I have a show I really want to watch.

Been helping at the tattoo parlor this week. Painting and cleaning and such. We are supposed to open Monday, but opening requires everything to be finished, so we shall see...

Still no job... still filling out applications.

Going to go hangout with some people tonight, should be fun.

Corn nuts and Netflicks...

I am sitting in bed as we speak munching on the aforementioned, corn nuts, watching The Sunshine Cleaning on Netflicks. Internet is working significantly better today than before... though I am not sure why.

May or may not go out to the tattoo parlor and help out tonight... just awaiting a phone call.

Still terribly lonely, no new friend prospects.

I applied at 10-15 more places for jobs today and I was astonished with the level of testing require for a job working the register at the Kum & Go. I spent a solid 45 minutes taking an online personality test for them.

Still no call backs...

Oh, I tried a delicious beer last night at a bar I applied at called the Mud Lounge... its called Hobgoblin...

Tuesday.

Today I busted my butt filling out job applications. Everywhere from Quik Trip to an Irish pub called Finnigan's Wake. Hopefully someone will call me back...

More importantly... I thrice heard a radio commercial for a tanning salon advertising that they could make you "brown as a biscuit." I laughed each time.

Internet is working better... but still it is really difficult to watch Hulu... and I don't have cable... so not only am I lonely, but I am also mind numbingly bored.

First meal

Fried rice... new pans... insanely delicious!!

Move in day.

Saturday was the official moving day.

We arrived at my apartment at about 12:15 in the afternoon and unloaded everything to fast it made my head spin. Since I was the only one who packed everything up before I left, (granted some friends helped, Cat, Co, Marissa) having four people to unload it all made it astronomically easier.

Adam helped me unpack everything, and thanks to his man skills, successfully hooked up the xBox, the DVD player, and most importantly, the bed. Select Comfort beds are pretty comfortable, but MAN are they complicated.

Went to Walmart to buy all the household essentials: food, paper towels, soap, detergent, shower curtain, etc. Little did we know, the shower curtain would be the biggest debacle of my life in Springfield to date. We bought a curtain rod and the curtain, but we didn't need a rod, as

my apartment came with one. We also forgot shower rings competely. So we returned the rod, got some rings and tried again. This time, the holes for the rings in the shower curtain were about 1/16th of an inch too small, so we had to return the curtain as well. We finally got it

together, but then we realized that the shower head is located chin level to me. We went then to go buy a shower head extender, but when we attempted to remove the existing head, we

found it had all but been krazy glued into place. Discussing this fact with my landlord shortly. :)

Despite the shower fiasco, the move in went well and I am settling in.

For those of you who are curious, here's my apartment:

Notice, that Eric Carr from KISS watches me cook...

Today is the first day I am truly alone. Adam left to go home to Ark City for work this morning around 5 a.m. It was hard, but I have Kyle (my cuddle monkey) to keep me company for a little while.

I start helping out at the tattoo parlor this afternoon... Excited!

But for now, I have to go sign my lease!!

It begins!

I've started this blog as an easily updatable source of information for all my friends and family who want to see how I progress through this new (and entirely terrifying) venture in my life. I will load pictures and stories at least once a week, although, seeing as I have no friends here (yet, I hope) it is more likely that I will be updating two or three+ times a week.

Bookmark me! This way I don't have to send out mass emails and risk forgetting someone every time. Post comments if you like, I'd love to hear from you guys along the way.

Don't forget, I have a sweet new couch and an 8 foot bean bag and a pretty darn big apartment if anyone ever wants to come spend a night or two in Springfield.

Thanks again for all the support, it was almost overwhelming and definitely appreciated!!