At long last...

...an update! Tee hee hee!

I know it is long in coming, but alas, an update! And boy is there lots to update!

First the cats! I finally got rid of the two Devil cats from Hell who attempted to destroy everything I own and/or love. As beautiful and sometimes affectionate as the cats were, I was glad to see them returned to their former owners, who were nice enough to take back their problem once their secret was found out. Adios, demon cats! May your existence be harmonious!




















[[Foreground - Lily, Himalayan mix breed. Background - Tricksy, Persian/Ragdoll mix. Fair thee well, demon cats!]]

Not sure if I mentioned, but we found a home for Little Ma, the mother of the kittens. My mother-in-law will be taking her in very shortly, which makes me so happy. I would have kept her myself, but there was a distinct personality clash between her and my cat Lila. At least she will have a good home in the country without having to fend for herself in the wild again. She'll get the best of both worlds; inside when she wants to be, outside when she is looking for adventure! Lila continues to be a spoiled brat, but I love her for it. She is warming up to the two kittens we decided to keep, which makes me happy. I wasn't sure how it was going to go for a while, but things are progressing nicely, and I even catch them playing little cat games together. I am hopeful that my cat situation will be much less stressful once I no longer have to worry about playing chaperone.



[[From left to right: Little Ma, as yet unnamed kitten, Nizhoni, aka Noni and Lila]]



In other news, Joe and I have tied the knot! We had a small, wonderful ceremony at my mother's house on Oct 6th. We were blessed with beautiful weather and very very few problems! Everyone had a wonderful time and I am officially married! I'm very excited about my new adventures in life. Hurray!


[[Wedding day!! Oct 6, 2009]]

I think that covers most of the big news events of my life. Still working the same jobs, headed into the busy season, so we'll see what new things that brings along. Joe is still working toward joining the Army. We definitely need to get working toward that, for sure. It seems like time is flying by faster and faster everyday. Six more weeks till I have to move out of our apartment and in with friends, which should be a whole new adventure in and of itself. Then we have holidays, hubby leaving for basic combat training, and then getting stationed at a base in spring. Fingers crossed everything goes on without a hitch!

XOXO
Jenny

Preface

Blogging for me is much like public speaking is to the socially awkward or anxious. The blank page is daunting to me, and I become nervous and discouraged. I was never one to articulate my life into words; I never kept a diary, I rarely penned my thoughts or concerns, seldom do I confide in others. I suppose the best place to make a start at is the beginning. We shall play a bit of catch up...let us get to know one another.

I am a twenty-three year old college drop-out. I completed my first year before making the decision to withdraw. I could not justify the amount of money it necessitated. Not to say I wasn't good at it; academics have always come easily to me. But the cost was exponentially growing and I was not getting what I felt to be an equal payout from it. In hindsight, I am glad for the decision. If I had continued, I would have graduated this past spring into a frozen job market. I have heard too many horror stories of women my age with decorated college degrees bar tending, waitressing, stripping and selling their eggs to make ends meet.

I live in rural, upstate New York with my boyfriend of almost two years (We will call him Joe). Two years in October, to be precise. Both of us are on the cusp of many major life decisions. We both have 'dead-end' jobs that are unsatisfying and leave us with a bitter taste in our mouths. He works two jobs; his main job is as a carpet cleaner-become-personal assistant. He receives a salaried amount of hours per week, but if there is no work, he has to tally the hours up and work them off at a later time. For instance, he gets paid for thirty hours a week, but if he works only 20, he still gets the same paycheck. But the following week, if he works forty hours, he still receives the same amount and the extra hours go toward the balance. He also has a side job as a pizza delivery boy. I work as an art gallery/personal assistant roughly twenty-five hours a week, and I have a side job as a gas station clerk, as well as odd-jobs babysitting and tutoring when I can scrape them up.

We rent a modest two-bedroom house and have, currently, four cats. We started out with one, and temporarily adopted two from friends who were moving in with a roommate who was allergic to cats (Big mistake, more on that in the future). Then we were adopted by a stray who ingratiated herself into our lives when she became pregnant. I am a sucker for animals and couldn't leave her to suffer outdoors with kittens. So she is on maternity leave in my guest bathroom. We have a clunker car that we bought for $1k from a friend of ours, no furniture to our name, accumulated debt and big dreams.

Recently, Joe and myself have been contemplating our future, leading to the discussion of his enlisting in the US Army. Big decision. Scary decision. But at the same time, it is exciting. The idea of change thrills me, and I am optimistic that this move will be one that will help us to begin climbing our way out of the slump we have found ourselves in. It almost feels like the pieces will fall into place with just the right amount of maneuvering and support.

This should be enough of a background picture to move forward. This will be a chronicle of my experiences as a twenty-something girl and her average Joe, embarking on the search for the 21st century American dream. It will not be easy, it will not be quick. But it will be exciting, and it will be real. And you are all invited to join me.

So let's go!