Moving On

Well, Christmas is behind us and a new year is right around the corner. Today holds its own significance for me, though.

It's moving day.

I moved into my apartment two and a half years ago. I was looking to move out of my brother's house and have my own place to live. My friend Aimée told me about a vacancy in the apartment next to hers. A quick chat with the landlady and a security deposit later, and I was the proud tenant of a two-story townhouse.

Moving in, I never really thought of the place as anything more than a place to rest my head. I figured I'd hang out with Aimée a bit more, and that would be about it. Looking back on it now, I'm surprised by all the fond memories I have of this place.

I can remember my first Thanksgiving here. My sister lives out of town with her husband and my dad, stepmom, and little brother are all typically out of town for the holiday, so it's usually my brother, my mom, and myself. I offered to host the event that year. I didn't cook the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but we had food and it was good. This was the first time I cooked for people in my new place.

I can remember the first Super Bowl I watched here, though to say I watched it would be generous. I'd typically go to my dad's to hang out and watch the game, but opted to stay home this time. Aimée came over and hovered over my shoulder as she had me watch the first episode of City Hunter, my first experience with Korean drama shows.

I can remember my struggles with pest control. The area is plagued with water bug/beetle things and it wasn't uncommon for them to make their way inside during the winter months. Sure, they sprayed annually, and sure the bugs would die, but they'd make it inside first. I didn't always wait for the poison to take effect. Then there was the first (and only) time a mouse got in the house. I was on my couch, watching TV, when I saw movement scurry across the floor. A couple strategically placed traps later, and I no longer had a roommate.

I can remember the harrowing tales of my neighbor's cat escaping the confines of her home. One of Aimée's cats developed an affinity for the outdoors and we spent one particular afternoon hunting it down in the ditch next to the apartment complex. I tumbled down the embankment, landing in the water below. After we finally coaxed him out of a drainpipe, I'd end up falling and impaling my hand on a rock. It was also the time I bought my very own first aid kit. He'd later get out again later, this time without anyone's knowledge. It wasn't until one of the other neighbors asked me if the cat looked familiar that anyone knew he had gotten out. My friend wouldn't be home for a few hours, so I ended up cat sitting for the interim.

I can remember Halloween, when Aimée came over to work on a cosplay costume, which involved cutting an awful lot of fake fur material. Once it was all said and done, it looked like a cat had exploded in my living room. To this day, I still find tufts of fur.

I can remember my parents giving me their old grill and learning how to use it for the first time. Mom would later come over for her birthday and I would grill chicken for her and my brother. Despite never having done it before, it turned out well.

I can remember having Stacie and Rob, a couple friends from out of town stay over. I'd never really had guests stay over before, so it was fun staying up late, playing games, watching TV, and just rambling on. We hung out on my back patio while I took another attempt at grilling.

Those are just a few of the memories I have. I have others, but I think I'll save those for myself.

Anyway, this year, I decided that it was time to move. The rent was higher than I'd prefer for a long term living situation. Rather than hold out for a potential raise from work, or find a second job, it seemed like a better idea to just move. So, today, I'm packing up my stuff and saying goodbye.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this place feel more like a home. I'll always treasure the memories.

Working the Annual Christmas Party

A couple years ago, I helped a friend of mine out by working at her boss's Christmas party. (Actually, that sounds like I'm doing my friend the favor. Since it's a paying gig, really, they're doing me the favor, as money is always tight around Christmas).

It was my first time doing something like this so, to be perfectly honest, I was terrified. I'm not really a people person, I don't do well with strangers, I tend to panic in large crowds, I've never worked in the food service industry, take your pick on what might make me uncomfortable.

When I was hired, I was told I'd probably be parking cars. I know how to point and I wouldn't have to deal with a lot of people outside of "please park to the left", so this sounded like my dream job. Since I'd be outside in the cold, all I needed was some black pants and my black jacket, to make sure I was easy to run over in the dark. My friend loaned me a pair of gloves, and I made sure to wear a second pair of socks, to keep my feet warm. I was prepared.

We arrived to the party and the boss started handing out our jobs. They had enough help with car parking (uh oh), so I was to help my friend with the bar (UH OH). Again, I've never worked in the food industry, and dealing with people are not my strong points. Add to that, I could probably count the number of mixed drinks I've had on both of my hands with fingers left over. Then it was clarified that I would be basically keeping an eye on the bar and making sure wine and drinks were in good supply and fetching anything the bartenders would need. I've played go-fer for my dad on...well, pretty much every job I've worked with him on, so we're playing to my strengths again.

Someone shows me where all the excess stock is located and then the guests start to arrive.

I have been invited to two parties over the course of my years (three, if you count my surprise birthday party). One was fresh out of high school, when alcohol and I were not on speaking terms, making it a rather dull experience for myself, and the other was a birthday party that a friend supposedly threw for me, which was the saddest party ever thrown. This party was unlike either of those experiences.

For starters, there was a ton of people there. And despite the size of the house, they were all congregating around the bar.

And the strange thing is, despite my lack of any social skills, and how busy, noisy, and crowded it was, I actually had fun. I enjoyed people watching. I got to know a couple of the other folks who were helping a bit better. And on some subtle level, I developed an appreciation for football.

There were times where I would need to fetch a bottle of wine from storage, with a mob of people separating me from my goal. Since clubbing the party-goers with the bottle of wine was frowned upon, that meant slipping past them, clinging to the bottle like a football. By the end of the night, I was quite good at it.

So, yeah, it was a memorable experience. And despite the frustrations that come with the job, it was one that I was happy to do again.

Christmas Time

It's December, which means it's finally Christmas season.

Well, for some, Christmas season started in October.

I don't like Christmas.

Well, I should clarify. I like the spirit of Christmas. I like having time off from work. Time I can use to visit with my family. Time I can spend at my Mom's house, visiting with her. Time I can spend at my Dad's house, visiting with him, my stepmom, and my little brother. Time I can spend with my older brother, and my sister and her husband. Time I can even spend with my extended family that I don't see much throughout the year. Time I can spend with my friends and loved ones.

What I don't like is the commercial behemoth that Christmas has become.

Every year, the Christmas holiday season arrives earlier and earlier. It's not uncommon now to see Christmas decorations sitting on store shelves in September. And as the seasonal juggernaut rumbles to life, it proceeds to suck all the joy, and togetherness, and love from the holiday.

Time normally spent with your loved ones is instead spent wandering from store to store looking for the perfect gift for them. The roads and stores become clogged with people and tempers are at an all-time high. They pump Christmas music over the in-store speakers and on the radio to try to instill some Christmas spirit in everyone, but its jarring to hear such uplifting music as you yell at your fellow man.

Sung to the tune of O Come All Ye Faithful

So, in the end, it kind of just spoils the mood for me.