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Tuesday, October 28th, 2008
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2:36 pm
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..did I forget to mention that it doesn't look like we're going to be able to have any kind of wedding reception anymore...
...well it doesn't.
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2:01 pm - 1 year later....
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1 year ago (+ 1 week) I stopped working for Response Insurance because Thom shut off the alarm clock. I had saved up a lot of money, getting ready to go back to school this past January so it wasn't so bad getting fired early....
...I looked for work through Christmas without luck. I started school in January, non-matriculated, and kept looking for work on the side. School ended, I went back to looking for work. Briana announced she was buying her own place, and eventually Dan got around to letting me know he was moving in with her. I decided to redecorate the house to take my mind off my worries, gave myself a small budget and moved on with things.
...summer came and went, we went to Italy - a trip planned, but not paid for, before we hit hard times and now there's no more money. All year I've applied for work and I only got a single call back, which didn't work out for me because I couldn't come in to work until I got out of class - 3 hours later than they wanted. School wants $200 deposit, which you're not allowed to defer to your financial aid, and I won't even know if I can get financial aid until after I pay the stupid deposit. I called unemployment to see if I can reopen my unpaid claim from when I stopped working for Stop and Shop, I have $8K in unclaimed funds...but I can't claim it until I've worked at a company been 'favorably separated', again. The bills are due soon, I don't know what to do but let the checks bounce...
...I'm so fucked.
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| Wednesday, October 1st, 2008
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11:37 am - My trip to Italy
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Got back from Italy Sunday night - it was a very eventful trip!! Most importantly, Thom and I got married! Hurray! The entire trip was so crazy it needs to be documented...here it goes..
We boarded our plane to Milan Sunday, the 21st. I was surprisingly comfortable on the flight and was very happy and excited to get to Italy. About 3 hours into the flight, over the Atlantic Ocean, our plane hooked back towards the United States - we could see this on the monitors showing our flight path - we were told to put our seat belts on but no announcement was made. About a half hour later, as we were approaching Bangor, Maine, they made the announcement that our Boeing 767 had a fuel leak and we had lost an engine. We made an emergency landing at the Bangor Airport. The airport in Bangor is NOT international - and we had many people on our flight returning home to Italy - The airport was closed and didn't have the facilities for customs or immigration we could not leave the terminal...
After about an hour we were told a plane was coming from Houston Texas to take us on to Milan - it would arrive in an hour. A few hours later I watched a very small plane arrive. Passengers got off our plane and entered the tiny one, presumably 1st and business class passengers who opted to stay in their comfy seats on the plane - no announcement was made. The crew kept insisting a plane was coming, then 2 planes, then after about 7 hours it was announced that a single plane was coming, it would arrive in about an hour, and take us all back to Newark, NJ airport - no one was going to Milan.
2 hours later a plane arrived...a much smaller Boeing 757 - the cabin was tighter...the seats looked smaller...it had been 2 days since I'd slept (this was an overnight flight)...and I was already scared about flying - I had a major panic attack, I began hyper-ventilating and begged to be allowed to stay in Maine instead. Luckily Thom and one of the other passengers understood what was happening to me, coaxed me into a comfortable seat and she and Thom stayed with me and comforted me until I was calm - it was a horribly stressful flight back to NJ anyway.
We were told that when we reached Newark Airport that there would be 50 agents waiting to take care of us, that they were aware of the situation and were going to help us get new flights to Italy and help repair our travel plans. When we arrived there were no agents..we had to wait an hour to collect our luggage and then carry it back up to the check in area and wait in line for one of the 5 check in agents. After waiting for over an hour a man came and brought a bunch of us to another area w/more agents, we waited for 20 mins or so..then when it was my turn I explained our situation to the woman - including the fact that we were going to miss our wedding (scheduled for the next evening) she was new, and given the circumstances wanted us to be helped by a more experienced agent. So we were ushered to another line. When we finally got to this new woman she was incredibly rude (ghetto attitude, if you will) and when we tried to explain our circumstances she wasn't listening - when she looked up from her screen she said "what?" as insolently as possible and I (loudly) stated "we're missing our wedding!" This woman then refused to help us, wouldn't answer any of our questions, kept insisting I was yelling at her (even though I was crying violently, far away from the counter because I couldn't control myself under such circumstances any longer)- She insisted repeatedly she couldn't get us to Milan sooner (not something we ever asked for).
What we did want was what we were promised, Customer Service, answers, phone numbers, maybe even a phone to use - we had no American money - only Euro - we bought insurance through Continental Airlines, we explained that we knew she wasn't an insurance agent - we just wanted the phone number for the insurance continental sells, she claimed she has no idea what we might be talking about - I can't explain how mean she was with every word she said. She wouldn't let us talk most of the time - just kept talking over us, saying she "won't help you if you're going to yell." waving her hands in our faces and rolling her eyes at us. WORST. SERVICE. EVER. I even asked for a supervisor which see refused to get - but her supervisor came over to say something to her and she wouldn't meet our eyes or respond to us when we tried to address her. I eventually got her to THROW a Continental brochure at me, with a customer service number in it - when I called them they helped me quickly and easily and answered all my questions - even when they didn't know the answer they responded politely to me and put me on hold to find the answer.
Finally we were given coupons for a stay at the Holiday Inn while we waited for our next plane, 5 hours after we came in from Newark. I was outside on the phone explaining our circumstances to a customer service rep. when a woman, Lynne, over heard me while having a cigarette. Lynne was a Customer Service supervisor of some kind for Continental - and was very upset to hear me crying so hard about how we'd been treated! She took care of us from there on out - she got us a suite (instead of a regular room) at the Holiday Inn, had a bouquet of flowers sent to the "sad bride" and checked in with us over the course of our trip to make sure I was "not crying anymore, or she would have to come there and MAKE me smile". Lynne was a dream - but she shouldn't have had to dedicate time, energy, and extra money to making things right with us - we should have just been treated with respect in the first place. Lois Marsh, BTW, is the name of the bitch who treated us like shit at the Airport. I hate her and will make it a point to spit on her face if I EVER see her again - if my life turns out alright I never will.
Later that day we got on a new flight to Milan, made it there in one piece and proceeded to Verona to salvage what was left of our wedding plans. We lost our arrangements (luckily we hadn't paid for anything) and our hotel stay (which we HAD paid for) and had to beg for new ones. We got married a day later than expected, and had to beg a new priest to come out of the church and marry us in a 'non-official' ceremony. We got married on a hilltop in a park over looking the city of Verona at twilight. It didn't work out quite as nice as we had planned but we got what we came for - I wasn't leaving Italy without having exchanged vows and collected my ring, damn it.
The adventure doesn't end there...the next day after we were married we took a train to Montova, where Ethicomp 2008 and our honeymoon were. The train was compartmentalized and we got to sit in our own little room. When we arrived in Montova Thom took his suitcase and got off the train promptly - leaving me with 2 suitcases + my carry-on. By the time I squeezed the big suitcase through the compartment door the train was moving! I got to the car door just as it was closing and we were already moving away from the platform. I banged on the door and shouted, I couldn't see Thom or a emergency stop anywhere. So I sat in between cars for 40 mins, waiting for the next stop. My grandfather, who was meeting us in Montova, had gotten off his train and saw Thom, he started shouting for him and walked up to Thom saying "here I am! I'm right here" Thom kept looking up and down the train. "what are you looking for? I'm here! Where's my granddaughter?" And Thom had to explain that he had left me on the train - Nonno thought this was funny, 3 hours and 3 trains later, I was not so amused. Jerks.
The rest of the trip was mostly smooth sailing - other than a dangerous looking blister on my left foot, losing Thom's phone, losing part of my tripod (hence no wedding photos), missing half the conference, and me spilling an entire glass of red wine on Philosopher/Artist Don Gotterbarn at the Ethicomp banquet of course. :)
1 bonus I had not counted on - I believe I LOST weight. The food there doesn't have processed sugars in it, and most restaurants serve very balanced meals - add to that walking from 7am to 11pm everyday and forgetting all the stresses of home, I suppose it's not surprising that my clothes fit a little better when I got back.
current mood:  tired
currently reading: tired
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| Friday, September 19th, 2008
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10:13 am
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theecinnamongrl: Someday, when our children are old people - Talk like a pirate day will be a real holiday.
Colezumi: just like 9/11
theecinnamongrl: yep.
Colezumi: although they are so close
Colezumi: they will probably combine them
theecinnamongrl: true..but in the future we will have many more holidays off.
theecinnamongrl: ya know, when the robots take over.
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| Tuesday, August 26th, 2008
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9:38 am - Officially a Loser...Officially.
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Well, School's about to start...and I still have not been accepted by the University - despite promises weeks ago that I would be enrolled right away, and that they were terribly sorry for the issues.
So, no school for me. Again.
Thanks life, thanks a lot.
current mood:  Rageful
currently reading: Rageful
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| Thursday, August 14th, 2008
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11:43 am - Why do I try?
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It all started 8 years ago. I graduated high school and decided I wanted to go to college a couple of years at Southern and then go on to a more prestiges music school - to save my parents money. Mom and Dad had said they would pay for college if I chose to go to a public high school instead of Hopkins Day School (prestiges prep school that sought me out). So I took their offer at the time but when I got to college - they didn't have any money they were willing to give, so I worked full time at Burger King through my time at school, which was hard. Then I met Thom and started spending some time with him, Mom and Dad didn't like that so they took my car away. Now without anyway to get to school or work I was relying on whoever I could find to drive me around...which wasn't all that easy mid-semester with 8am classes, so I missed a lot of class and even when I made it there I was tired and would have to go to work right after. I did poorly and was kicked out of school.
After a few years of working, I decided that I was well off enough to try and head back to school, but I couldn't without some serious work on my GPA and I wasn't sure how well I'd do. So I took one semester of classes to test the waters, and I LOVED it, I got a 4.0 that semester and signed up for another semester. There's a program called "Fresh Start" that if you work really hard at getting your grades up after getting kicked out, they'll let you back in and wipe your slate clean - no bad grades! So the first day of the new semester I find out I'm being laid off and they're closing our facility. I cancel my classes and get my money back since I paid fucking CASH, I was going to need that money now that I'd have no job.
3 years later, I haven't been stable enough to return - but then Thom gets a job, and I suddenly find myself jobless again and with the opportunity to work on my academic career! So I got back for another semester, non-matriculated, and pay way more money than a regular student and get NO student benefits (such as health insurance options). But I work hard anyway and get another 4.0! Go me! I'm all ready to apply for the program now!
...oh...it turns out I have to wait until final grades come in to apply...
...oh...grades are going to be late this year...
...yay grades are in! Apply. IN PERSON....
...
...2 weeks later the app. is finally in the system and viewable online...
...
...
...
...2 more weeks go by I get a letter telling me I'm eligible for the fresh start program...which, the secretary asked me if I was when I handed it in. So I call to find out if this is notification of acceptance or what - cause there's nothing else on the paper...leave a message...
...3 days, leave a message.
...next day, message.
...next week message.
...3 days, message.
...next week, message - this time crying because school is 3 weeks away and after I get accepted I still need to go through this with financial aid and get approval before I can even register for classes and no one has ever called me back.
...3 days later, a call back - but this man doesn't know anything about me and can't find my app, promises to call on Monday...
...no call, message.
...next day, message.
...next day, message...
..today...message...
I'm never going to go to college.
current mood:  Despair
currently reading: Despair
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| Tuesday, July 29th, 2008
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12:00 pm - Brick walls...everywhere!
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Yesterday was a day of head bashing...today..much the same
Yesterday:
Walmart won't take back a gift I received, with the receipt - not even for store credit, they want the original credit card it was bought with...HELLO "GIFT"!!
City of Hamden Has no power, so all the traffic lights are out and no cops directing traffic at MOST busy intersections.
Joanne Fabrics closed when I get there, I'm early.
I realize I forgot my purse - go home...go back to Joanne Fabrics for opening...
Joanne Fabrics decides to delay opening till 12 or 1pm due to the power outage even though power was restored before regular business hours even started and all the other stores in the plaza were open.
More stuff - but I think you get the picture...
Today is so frustrating I can't even think about it anymore...
All I know is I hate:
Southern Connecticut State University's Admissions office
HSBC Mortgage
HSBC Mortgage's Webmaster/Webteam
Twitter.com
Facebook.com
Myspace.com
Webster Bank
Mint.com
AT&T DSL
2Wire DSL Modems
Trillian
Connecticon
The Hartford Convention Center
Myself
....Amongst others, and it's only noon.
current mood:  Super Mad
currently reading: Super Mad current mood: teeth grinding
currently reading: teeth grinding
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| Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
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11:51 am - Bleh..
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Been sick for 3 days. Can't take it anymore.
Blehck!
I wanna Touchsmart PC. I don't care if it's HP.
sleep.
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| Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
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3:36 pm - Smoke free's the way to be!
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| Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
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1:22 pm - Procrastiniation...
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totally procrastinating. I have TONS of things to do but I'm posting on my journal with nothing to say instead.
I think I'm going to procrastinate next by going shopping. Thom has an interview today and I could use it as an excuse to buy new clothes, for him of course, me only if I see something great and cheap. Yeah...that'll do..Later!
current mood:  Shopping Shopping Shopping!!
currently reading: Shopping Shopping Shopping!!
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| Tuesday, July 8th, 2008
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10:44 am - Ow!
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Had a nightmare last night of an Iron Golem with a meat-tenderizer style hammer, loaded into a piston-driven arm, pummeling me to death. It didn't help that I woke up in horrible agony from all the shite I've been doing all weekend.
Then Thom ate my breakfast. :(
Then Mom called 37 times. She got a new dog - a puggle - and can't stop talking about it.
The house is a disaster - but the new bedroom is coming along nicely. Since it's all part of a huge redesign project, I'll be posting details on Congypsy.com as well as showcasing my work on My Deviantart as soon as I finish - I think it looks really nice! The design of the room will be very nice for a couples bedroom or even a gender-neutral baby/child's room. I'm getting to the point where I'm getting hung up on details though (which style of knobs on the closet door, should I repaint the desk, what if I just got totally new trim, crown molding to hide the bad ceiling transition, now or later?) I feel like I'm never going to finish - and then I have 6 other project areas to move on to!
Honestly - HGTV makes this look like MUCH less of an ordeal.
pfft. 4 people do this much interior decorating in 1 day! Thank god I started on the stairs BEFORE Dan moved out!
Well back to the grind.
current mood: tired
currently reading: tired current mood: Nothing yet...thinking some Neil Young is in order though...
currently reading: Nothing yet...thinking some Neil Young is in order though...
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| Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
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1:08 pm - ..back..
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My mom won't stop calling me.
I'm trying to cook Indian food. I'm tired. I'm home. I'm bleh.
Updated'D.
current mood: tired
currently reading: tired current mood: Fans
currently reading: Fans
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| Friday, June 20th, 2008
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11:54 am
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Gah! Packing for a torturous weekend in the Cape with my family. Fun times!
See you all later!
current mood:  aggravated
currently reading: aggravated current mood: Songs in my head...
currently reading: Songs in my head...
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| Monday, June 16th, 2008
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1:50 pm
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10:48 am - Depressed...
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I was so depressed 20 minutes ago...I was going to come on here and post this long essay about how life shit on me. I'm fat, I'm uncontrollably sad all the time, I cry hysterically for hours, I'm broke with no job or prospects, I'll never get married or have kids because I just can't get this life shit together, I think I'm actually capable of murder over small things (very chilling thought), I've been thinking I'm crazy for the last decade or so...and the evidence is really piling up but everyone around me says I'm being paranoid...isn't paranoia a symptom of crazy?!?!
But then my cousin posted on her journal basically about feeling just like that. She said all the things I was feeling. I'm born unlucky, I was meant for nothing, I got the short end of the stick in life. Other than having Thom in my life we're in the same boat..and let's face it Thom has some serious drawbacks as opposed to most other guys - low energy, lack of interest in anything other than DnD and philosophy, thinks he's so damn smart.. >:[ , took me out on I think 2 dates ever...only because I started crying about never having been taken out on dates about 3 years ago and I'm still crying about it and it STILL hasn't been fixed...and has been promising me for the last 8 years he would get his license ( I won't even mention all the time and energy wasted by me thinking he would, buying a car for him and such). AND NOW I never get to spend time with him because he's so busy with school and work. He actually wants me to learn how to be happy alone...I can't tell if he plans on leaving me or just isn't planning on spending time with me anymore. Man, I'm a sucker.
BUT anyway... I couldn't help a long comment on it. For some reason when other's are having the same problem I am, I gain a lot of prospective. So I wrote..and wrote..and wrote..
And now... I feel better. I don't feel like everything is as bad as I think it is. I was boning up to having a super depressed, breakdown day, and now - I think I might get through it.
Thanks me! And thanks Kate, for giving me the opportunity to feel better today ::pat on back::
current mood:  hopeful
currently reading: hopeful current mood: Policy of Truth, Depeche Mode
currently reading: Policy of Truth, Depeche Mode
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| Monday, June 9th, 2008
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9:04 am - Oh nos!
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It's so damned hot. It's only 9am and it's already 78 degrees!
Bleh. I have many many things to do.
On a high note I had come up with a basic concept of a comic book I'd like to do, probably on the web. NOT like the other comic ideas I've run with which all required someone else to write...I think I've got a good concept..some art I like for the style and a solid story with a beginning and ending. My plan (at this time) is to start writing some story boards and eventually get it up on maybe a weekly update schedule over the course of 1 - 2 years. If it is well received and actually accumulates a fan base a 4 - 5 part issue comic might make sense or 1 small graphic novel. It will be an interesting project and I'm not making any promises to myself or anyone else that it happens...but I'm going to try.
Oh yeah - we're getting a new website/domain...we're moving from Cinnamonartiststudio.com to ConGyspy.com. I will of course remain Cinnamongrl.
I've started some brainstorming on site design, we've kind of chosen a layout (updating with wordpress) and on my to do list is to sketch up some ideas. This will be neat if it happens.
Also Connecticon this August! Christa Harlow will be there representing ConGypsy/Cinnamonartiststudio if anyone has any artwork they want sold off or they want to come to the Con, we have hotel room and may have some space in the car. Hotel will be cheap but depends on how many we have in it. Around $130 a night and we have 5 already, so around $26/night. No promises though, as I said depends how many people end up staying in the room. It's a huge suite too, so there's plenty of space.
Better get to work. Later.
current mood:  hot
currently reading: hot current mood: Fans Blowing..about to switch to Pandora
currently reading: Fans Blowing..about to switch to Pandora
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| Friday, June 6th, 2008
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9:33 am - Inner...Innercity...Innercity Pressure
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So it's Friday again...
I'm sitting at my computer like I do for about 2 hours every morning, just after dropping Thom at work. Listening to Flight of the Conchords, drinking coffee, thinking about what I'm going to do for the day...
On the agenda WAS finish painting the stairs...but since all I have left to do and the humidity in the air is high I will not being doing that...
Got to prepare for DnD and clean up - which I am not interested in doing whatsoever.
BTW for those playing tonight - know your light source and pay attention.
I thought I actually had something of interest to post today. Guess not.
Thom's almost done with his transfer document, Briana's going to be closing on her house very soon...unfortunately it's being pushed back for a My Little Pony Convention...REALLY?? Yes. Silly, I know.
So at least we're pretty sure Dan will be moved out before the beginning of July...Once all the moving is done I will be painting the whole interior of the house, all kinds of moving and changing of the entire house and every room...I'm so excited! I just can't wait for it to be done so I can get my project underway...it started with the stairs but I just keep finding really good reasons to wait and I'm getting impatient.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW!!
Dan's Birthday is this coming Tuesday the 10th of June. I got him an airbrush set - anyone giving him the same will be kicked. Severely.
current mood:  artistic
currently reading: artistic current mood: Innercity Pressure, Flight of the Conchords
currently reading: Innercity Pressure, Flight of the Conchords
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| Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
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2:13 pm - Spliggity Sploo!
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Working on DnD prep. Potentially adding another player into Friday's game. We only reliably have 2-3 players, one of which is always tired, 1 always quiet, and 1 always mentally elsewhere :\
Maybe with the addition of a player that knows and respects the game mechanics like Thom and I do, the party will feel a little....cohesive? eh. We'll see.
I keep coming up with new ways I want to organize the house. When Dan leaves I'm going to be reorganizing every room - might even do a little remodeling if I take the extra $ from savings - and it's going to be the super gamery/artsy house and everyone's going to want to hang here, like they did already. Well...I'll want to hang here, which I already don't - so there.
I'm tired - Thom's doing paper - I should go clean or cook or do something else wife-like.
current mood: drained
currently reading: drained current mood: Flutey time, Thom's choice - not mine.
currently reading: Flutey time, Thom's choice - not mine.
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| Monday, May 26th, 2008
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10:16 am - Thom's freakin BIZEE.
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It's memorial day. I'm tired. My head feels all kinds of swimmy and bleh - probably doesn't help that I'm listening to Trance music!
Don't know what to do with myself anymore, all of Thom's Free time is taken up by his paper. He graciously sits at the DnD table with us. But that's about it. I never get to hang out with him anymore. I mostly just sit next to him, both of us on laptop's with Headphones on. Lame.
I just keep telling myself "only 2 more years" the shitty part is that it's going to get more intense and eventually he will have to give up on DnD. We talk about having kids after he finishes school - but that means we'll immediatly go into having another long term project and never having time to hang out together. I've had to outsource my boyfriend, How does that even work?!
Eh. I'm done venting. I gots some arts to go do!
current mood:  annoyed
currently reading: annoyed current mood: Seven Nation Army, Punk Division
currently reading: Seven Nation Army, Punk Division
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| Sunday, March 16th, 2008
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2:18 am - Genuine chocolate face. No make up!
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I rrecently joined facebook.com, I do not know if I care for dees tings.
I don't like the interface, it looks like they tried to make it clean cut and forward but what they ended up with was an unorganized line of info that requires longterm dedication to understand.
I prefer a more intuitive set up - like igoogle, I know it's not a community but it's pretty sweet.
1 good thing is that my cousin, Katie, contacted me - I'm pretty distant from my family as a whole so it'll be awesome to bring her back into the folds of my life in some capacity. Now if only I could manage that with my friends from High School - who am I kidding, I don't have the time for that.
The smoking you ask?
Completely clean, no cigarettes since the first day. No gum, no pills, no insane substitutes. I'm pretty proud but I need to stop patting myself on the back for it.
I just got my grades for my 3D design class, all A-'s so far, not as nice as an A+ but I'm still not much of an artist. I'm pretty much pouring on ridiculous effort to make up for a lack of knowledge and skill.
I have an A+ in Art History this semester so far. Midterm went swimmingly. It's not a super hard class - if you go to lecture and pay attention you can pull off an A with some flash cards and half a brain. Alternately, If you don't go to the lectures you can't possibly pass. Unfortunately most of the 300+ class doesn't go that, far so almost everyone is failing. It's so tragic.
ANYWAY...I wrote all that last night at the time posted but didn't post...I walked away - I post now.
current mood: artistic
currently reading: artistic current mood: E eats everything, They Might Be Giants
currently reading: E eats everything, They Might Be Giants
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