Scrilla

I've been applying for jobs while down here.  Not too vigorously, but slow and steady.  So far I've applied to be:

1.  Online Instructor with Educate Online
2.  Cake Decorator at Whole Foods
3.  Student Central Manager at DeVry University
4.  Faculty at Westwood College
5.  Regional Education Quality Manager at Catapult Learning
6.  Part-Time Advocate at the YWCA
7.  Hooters Girl at Hooters

I just applied today in person at Hooters.  My interview lasted a total of 30 seconds.  She asked me a total of two questions:
1.  Do you have reliable transportation?
2.  Are you available nights, weekends, and holidays?

I expected questions such as "What size bra do you wear?"  "How do you feel about hula-hooping on top of tables?"  "Why are you leaving teaching to become a whore?"  "Do you have any waitressing experience?"  Nope, none of that.  I bet I didn't dress up slutty enough!!!  I knew I should've worn my booty shorts!!!  ;)

GEORGIA!!!!!

        I'm in Woodstock, GA now. I'm living with a guy I've known since Mr. Galafaro's 7th grade science class at Krueger Junior High School. Jason lives with his girlfriend, Stephanie, who is also from Michigan City but whom I don't really know (yet). There is air conditioning, my own bedroom, my own bathroom, nothing is under construction, there is a dog but it hasn't puked yet, there is no one over 30 living in this house, I am in a nice residential neighborhood with a community swimming pool, there is internet access, AT&T U-verse TV, and we eat meals together =) I don’t have to walk on eggshells, I don’t have to censor what I really want to say, I don’t even have to talk if I’m not in the mood. I can be the night owl that I am. I can be the ridiculously late sleeper-inner that I am.

Here, I am allowed to be ME, at all times, and for that I AM GRATEFUL! Dare I say… it feels like home?!

 Front of the house

Back of the house

 Sable

Stephanie in the kitchen

                                               
 The library

Jason in the living room

My own bedroom and my own bathroom

Trip from CT to GA

On the trip from CT to GA I made a stop in Easton, PA to go to the Crayola Crayon Factory.  Easton is a super cute old fashioned yet modern city.  There were a ton of tents set up on the circle of the city where vendors were selling everything from jewelry to farmers market foods. 

At the Crayola Crayon Factory I learned a few things:

            

Crayola has come around over the years to be culturally sensitive to people of all skin colors, which I LOVE!  (now only if Band-Aids would catch up... ever seen a Band-Aid that's flesh colored for a black person?  Didn't think so...)

I got to see the WORLD'S LARGEST CRAYON!

And, I made a new friend!

 After Easton, PA I drove to Hershey, PA to go to Chocolate World.  Chocolate World is on a property which also contains an amusement park that I did not go to.

Millions of KISSES!

After leaving Hershey I went to Shippensberg, PA to go to Tiny Town.  Shippensberg is a very small, very rural farming community.  Tiny Town is in some guy's back yard.  You can tell that at one time it was very well cared for, but has been neglected for a while now.  I almost felt invasive getting out of my car, walking on some guy's private property, and taking pictures of his "tiny town".  It is just a series of miniature buildings, similar to doll houses but a little bigger, and even the insides of the building are (were) decorated with detail. 

View to the right of the yard

The School House - with Boys and Girls Outhouses

Detail inside the school building - desks arranged
in rows with names and picture on them

Railroad Station

View of the left hand side of the yard

 

It was an odd little place with an entrance that read "Look, but don't touch.  Donations".    I left $2 in the little drop box and left.  I drove another hour or so to Stranton (?) VA and stayed the night at a Comfort Inn.  The only rooms they had left were smoking, which I wouldn't have preferred, but the continental breakfast the following morning made up for it!!!

Last words about CT

On Saturday I left CT.  Reasons why I left CT:

1. Bridgeport, CT is a very poor area that includes numerous tenements, housing projects, rundown buildings and businesses, and people out on the streets at all hours of the night. I did not feel safe driving after dark, or walking during the daylight.

2. The house was sweltering hot all at times.

3. The two bathrooms are connected to Sam and John’s bedrooms, respectively, and for that reason I felt like I had no privacy. Especially when coming home after everyone else is in bed….did I want to pee 3 feet from John’s head? Or 6 feet from Sam’s? Michael says he wouldn’t be surprised if John had cameras in his. Sam’s bathroom is under construction – no ceiling, no floor, no sinks, no lights, no tub.

4. Creepo John would hover at all times. I was finding myself getting out of the house before John came home from work and coming in late enough so that he’d already be in bed.

5. I’m used to living by myself, and having to talk and be around people at various times is not ideal.

6. I broke some rules…I was supposed to lock the house doors at all times, even when I was in it! Nothing could be left on the counter tops so each day I carried my coffee maker down 3 flights of stairs and back up the three flights of stairs.

7. I got accused (by both Judy and Sam on separate occasions) of giving the dog beans that he threw up.

8. I was on a totally different schedule than everyone else living in the house. They were all in bed by 10:00pm or so and I was coming home or in and out of the house way after that. I felt like I was waking everyone up and constantly walking on eggs shells.

9. When I was home, I felt like I had to be confined to the attic and we all know the luxurious conditions of that.

10. I was constantly juggling multiple balls at once and could not do it anymore. It did not feel like home, it was uncomfortable at all times, and I was uncomfortable at all times.

Before I left I got a picture with Sam, Judy, and Shawny so y'all could see what they look like.  They're quite eccentric!

Another fun thing I'd like to show you is the difference in stair cases between the main house and the maid/slave staircase.  Can you tell which is which?  The width of the maroon painted staircase is about 6 inches wider than my hips (3 inches on each side).

Michael and Me:  Farewell Photo

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The night before I left CT (Friday night) I had another date with a different guy from eH.  This guy is "so concrete sequential" that when he makes a to-do list, the first thing he puts on it is "make list".  Anyway, we went to this restaurant called V in Westport, CT and they had the cutest, fattest, shortest, bottle of ketchup I've ever seen!  The pitcher of water probably distorts how small this bottle of ketchup is, but look at it compared to the crayon!

When I tell my date how fascinated I am by the bottle (and then promptly whip out my camera...) he tells me to steal it.  I am appalled at this and tell him NO WAY!  Then he suggests that I ask the waitress if I can have it.  I tell him he is crazy if he thinks the waitress is going to give me permission to steal the bottle of ketchup.  Next thing I know, the waitress sees me taking the ketchup bottle's picture, comes over and asks me what I'm doing.  When I tell her they don't have ketchup bottles like that in Indiana, she asks me if I want it.  WHAT?!  Is this really happening?  #1 I hate being wrong, and #2 I am elated at the possibility of getting this ketchup bottle.  Then she says, "Better yet, I'll go get you a brand new bottle from the back".  The entire time now she's joking on me and asking if I've ever seen a bottle of Grey Poupon, if I want a couple bottles to give away for souvenirs, etc.  It was, by far, the highlight of my date =)

Day 4

When I woke up today, John happened to be home for lunch.  Well he didn't actually eat lunch, he came home to clarify things with me since he didn't get a chance to see me last night.  He reassured me that he is well aware we are not dating.  And that he understands why I didn't want to give him my facebook info.  And he wants to know if I want to do something, tomorrow, on his day off.

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After John leaves I start looking around the house and see dog puke everywhere!  Did I mention Sam has a dog?  Yeah, Micheal didn't mention that to me prior to coming.  The dog's name is Shawny, and it's a boy, and it's a big poodle or something.  Sam suggests I walk the dog when no one else is home, but I don't do dogs and anyone who knows me knows that!

  

Liquid Puke (looks remarkably like Shawny)

The Culprit, Shawny

 Solid Puke

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Later in the day, David, my date from eHarmony Tuesday night texted me and asked me to go out Saturday.  (WARNING - I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried)  Here's how that conversation went:

C:  Thanks but I'm not interested in going out again.

D:  I'm sorry to hear that.

D:  Was it something I did or said?

C:  I'm not comfortable dating someone who still lives with their ex-wife

D:  Is this something that we can discuss - this is a temporary situation - I am staying in another room and plan to be out by the end of August.

D:  My suggestion - put a timetable on me - if I don't live up to my end of the bargain - send me packing - thoughts?

D:  Courtney I told you about the credit cards with Janet and Tara's gambling habits - this wiped me out - and I am helping keeping the house in show condition.

D:  I don't want to discount your feelings but I feel like this is something that should be considered.  I don't know.  I felt a connection.  Sorry.

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 Later in the day, after getting out of the shower (yes, I actually showered today!) I realized I didn't bring my towels with me.  I have dirty clothes on the floor (I'm talking stinky - I exercised in them, and remember the house has no air conditioning).  I have clean clothes in my bag that I want to wear for the day which would be soaking wet if I put those on.  Seeing no other option, I sprinted out of the bathroom butt-ass-naked and sopping-wet into the attic as quickly as I could, praying that neither John, Judy, Sam, nor Michael would happen to be home and catch me.  I knew no one was home when I got IN the shower...  No one caught me, and I guarantee I'll remember my towels from now on!!! 

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Fun CT fact:  You cannot purchase alcohol in a store after 9:00 pm

Great News!!!

John has moved out of the building.  No, no, no, just kidding.  I HAVE RENTERS!  Two people, a guy and a girl, signed the lease yesterday to rent out my house while I'm gone for the whole year.  And they are going to paint the entire house.  I saw color samples and they are all various forms of neutral.  I can breathe a sigh of relief now...  =)

Days 2 and 3 in CT

Tuesday was my first full day in CT.  I actually had a date set up for that night with some guy I met on eHarmony.  Being the planner-aheader that I am, I've been communicating with people in CT for about 2 months now knowing I was coming. 

Did you know you can rent books on CD from any Cracker Barrel and return them to any other Cracker Barrel in the country?  A friend of mine told me about this so while I was in Ohio I got off on an exit that advertised for a CB and rented "Toxic Bachelors" by Danielle Steele.  It definitely made the next 4-5 hours of my trip enjoyable!  You have to return these CDs within one week and I found out the nearest CB to where I am, which is Bridgeport, CT, is in Milford, CT.

So, my date was going to meet me at the Cracker Barrel in Milford, CT.  While I was inside returning the CDs he texted me to let me know that he was outside by the rocking chairs.   I responded "You're not that really ugly guy with the missing teeth are you?"  And it all went down hill from there...  He talked about his ex-wife, whom he still lives with, the entire evening!  And when he wasn't talking about his ex-wife, he was telling me about his most recent ex-girlfriend.  And about how his bio-mom is a crack whore, bio-dad is a rapist, bio-sis has a drug problem, another bio-sis is a stripper, adopted sis has a learning disability, and on and on and on.  BAGGAGE?  He texted me later that night and said he had a great time;  I should've told him to send me a $90 check for the free therapy he got, but instead, I simply ignored him.  My food was AMAZING though.  We went to this place called Rainbow Gardens and I had a turkey/brie/fruit preserves sandwich.  It tasted like a freaking donut - I loved it ;)

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Needless to say I wrapped that date up early and was home by 9:30pm when good old John spots me and wants to take me out for the ice cream we never got the night before:

Me at Sunny Daes Ice Cream Parlor

Ice cream turns two hours later into a long walk on the beach.  John is talking about how God must've put me in his kitchen yesterday and he has friends texting him asking him how "things are going with Courtney?"  I AM CLEARLY IN WAY OVER MY HEAD.  After freaking out about this problem John texts me today and wants my facebook contact info.  I tell him I don't feel comfortable giving him that info.  He apologizes and says he didn't mean to make things awkward.  I say "I think you have the wrong impression about us...we are not dating!" and he says "I'm very clear on that" and when I say "good" he follows up with "So you wanna grab a bite to eat together at 6:00 when I get off?"  U-G-H

My lesson to be learned here is:  Always get out of the house before John gets home from work, and get back late enough so that he's already in bed =)  No, I'm sure there's a much deeper lesson here that I will ponder some other time.  Or perhaps you, the reader, have some thoughts?

Tonight I went out with Michael and his girl Kelly.  We went to the Colony Grill in Fairfield, CT where they have really good pizza!  She's super friendly and we had a fun time ;)