Day 52 - February 21, 2012 - Back to the grind

After much time off it was back to work again. Took a photo of my job's time clock after I punched back in and geared up to hide in the quiet office for the rest of my lunch hour. The day actually went by pretty fast and even though it was busy because the library was closed President's Day, it actually wasn't so bad. 

Day 51 - February 20, 2012 - Looking for a shoe kind of like this

Last day of vacation. Went to see my friend Andrea in the afternoon, then Terry picked me up at the train station to take me to Estelle's dressy dresses. We looked at some ideas for a pair of wedding shoes. We both liked these shoes but they weren't completely comfortable, so we passed them up. I need to buy my shoes in a wide size in order to give my feet breathing room and in order to not pinch or crush the area of my front foot around my toes. These shoes fit but they were not wide width so we both decided they wouldn't be comfortable enough for the wedding day.

Day 50 - February 19, 2012 - First fitting, FINALLY!

I finally met my seamstress again after so long. What I'm wearing in this photo is the mock dress. Before a seamstress actually makes a dress or item of clothing with the real material they fit you with a mock up dress first in order to be able to tailor the dress directly to your body. I'm going to meet her in March for a second fitting, so my dress is officially on it's way to construction.

Day 49 - February 18, 2012 - It's just one of those days

Today was a terrible nose day. I don't know how many times I reached for the tissues to sneeze or blow my nose. Sometimes when I have an allergy attack or a cold, my nose gets out of control, I can't stop sneezing, my nose won't stop running. My leaky runny sneezy nose finally calmed down later on in the night after Shawn's mom gave me some kind of nose bath solution to clean out your sinuses a little. 

Day 48 - February 17, 2012 - Decorating Michael

Had a busy day today, went to Merrick in the early morning to hang out with my friend Janell for a brief time. Then I went back home because we made arrangements to pick up the car in the afternoon. My second car is a Subaru outback impreza sport edition, 1999. So far even though I've only driven it for one day it's on it's way to lasting me longer then the sonata did. I named the car Michael after Michael Crawford (the original phantom in phantom of the opera). The inspiration for the name came when I was trying to phantomize the car. I had this little guy that I hung up on the dashboard, I had him inside the sonata for maybe 3 hours before I had my accident with it, so far he's spent more time in the subaru. We tried to register the car but had a mishap with the insurance, they put the date of the 18th as effective and didn't fax over a correct card in time for the DMV before they were closing. So the car had to stay in the driveway until Shawn could go back for registration on Tuesday.

Day 47 - February 16, 2012 - All geared up for the fastest car hunt ever!

Spent the morning and most of the afternoon with Terry and baby Vincent. It was very nice, once Terry left for work I had to get ready for a car hunting trip with Yosef. I took this photo while I had the door open to look out for his car. I actually thought we weren't going to find a car, but it turns out the first car we saw, the one that Shawn and I were oogling was the one that Yosef approved of and agreed that we could buy. So we got the first car we saw, and this car hunt lasted maybe 2 hours instead of 2 months.

Day 46 - February 15, 2012 - NYSC is a swanky gym!

I met my friend Julie for a zumba class at her gym. Her gym is NYSC (New York Sports Club). I really enjoyed the zumba class and would like to do zumba again sometime in the near future. She was showing me around the gym when the class was over. They have a swimming pool and a sauna. This was my quick photo fo the sauna.

Day 45 - February 14, 2012 - The heart shape on repeat

Valentine's Day today! I spent the afternoon being Shawn's mom's valentine, we went out to lunch and then went to the store, when she left to go to work I started setting up the apartment and cooking dinner. This was a photo of our candy haul for the holiday. Shawn bought me the big chocolate heart, his mom gave me the chocolate rose, I bought him the twizzlers because they are his favorite and his mom gave him the mini heart with the cat on it.

Day 44 - February 13, 2012 - Cleaning Frenzy

I was off from work on vacation (another staycation for me actually). I spent most of my time for the day cleaning the apartment in preparation for the romantic dinner I was cooking for Shawn and I on Valentine's Day.

Day 43 - February 12, 2012 - What are you doing Nonny?!?

We celebrated Yosef's birthday today, and Aunt Sue's since they were on the same day. I took a couple of photos while they were cutting the cake. We were joking about this picture after it was taken because it looks like Nonny is going for Sue's boob. It kind of worked out even funnier by accident because Anabel has her mouth open in the background so she looks like she is appalled or shocked. 

Day 42 - February 11, 2012 - 10,000th phantom performance

Phantom of the Opera celebrated 10,000 performances on the great white way today! 

Day 41 - February 10, 2012 - Much Coffee

Went shopping with Terry (Shawn's mom) at Marshall's (one of my favorite stores). We had to get something for his Aunt Sue's birthday. While we were there at the counter I found a pound of coffee called blue mountain (I think it's a Jamaica blue mountain knock off), a coffee scoop and Shawn's mom brought me a mini french press. So the day ended up with finding presents and growing my collection of coffee equipment.

Day 40 - February 9, 2012 - Reward!

This could be terrible. I have excitement over a new bag....but maybe the excitement is well deserved, this bag was a mere fraction of the cost of a high end purse like coach or Louis Vuitton (purses that I actually don't like and won't buy anyway) although it is a designer purse. This bag is actually a reward, and I managed to score it for $28 off the price it was listed for at Loehmann's, $61.01 off the actual retail price. It's a Betsey Johnson (I like her designs because they are edgy, wacky and cute at the same time - although some of her items, her dresses in particular can be quite expensive). I saw this satchel and a smaller hobo version at Loehmann's last week but refrained from the purchase and only stuck to some gifts for Shawn and one clearance skirt for myself. This week however...I got my tax refund....I love my tax refund, I usually get a big chunk of change. I'm trying to hold onto some of it, although I've already used some to pay off some debt, and order wedding invitations. If I get the car I'm going to see  tomorrow, I'm really going to have to watch it, but this car is an excellent deal and if Yosef seems okay with it, I think I'm going to make the purchase. A car is something that is needed anyway. So back to the bag after much rambling, I am working hard to pay off my debt, I now have 9 debt items to pay off (some credit cards that I want to get down to a 0 balance, and my student loans that will loom over my life for the next 10 years). My silly system is that after I be the good girl and pay off a debt I will purchase a reward or treat for myself. So I decided that the reward for paying off my gap credit card which I did with the tax refund was going to be one of the Betsey Johnson bags I saw in Loehmann's. Today I went before work, I was inspecting the small hobo intending to buy that one, but kept staring at the large satchel which was more money. I was kind of wishing for a coupon besides my 10% gold membership discount. Well for the second time in my shopping history a sales lady handed me a coupon for $15 off a purchase of $50 or more, my coupon magically appeared. That settled it I was getting the satchel. When I went up to the counter I asked the saleslady if I could get more then this coupon plus my usual 10% off if I renewed my gold card (it was going to have to be renewed at the end of the month anyway - for the gold card if you pay $25 per year you are entitled to an additional 10% off every time you make a Loehmann's purchase). It turned out if I paid my $25 renewal fee I could get 20% off the bag instead of the 10%. So I renewed my membership. At the end of my transaction including taxes I paid $65.18 for my membership renewal and the bag, the bag would have been $64.99 without any discounts. So I got my membership renewal and the bag for the retail value of the bag. I am proud of this reward and maybe that's why I'm excited about it, because it's an actual treat instead of haphazardly just throwing down my money which I was kind of doing before I decided to take my debt by the horns and get as much of it as possible squashed before my marriage to Shawn. My next rewards are lined up and I will look for discounts on those too Just dance 3 when I pay off my best buy credit card, Vera Bradley's Small Folio when I pay off my credit one account (which is now closed and in collections by some law office *sheepish grin*), and Vera Bradley's large folio when I pay off my paypal smart connect credit card. After that I have to pay off my discover card, NY&Co card, Victoria's Secret Card, my amazon store card, and my two student loans. I don't have rewards lined up for those yet, I do know the reward is going to be a BIG one when I pay off my last student loan. Perhaps a vacation with Shawn somewhere, a week long celebration of debt freedom if possible! Or almost debt freedom since we might end up getting a loan to build the second floor we are dreaming of.

Day 39 - February 8, 2012 - Putting it together....again

In my apartment I had an organizer, it's a piece from bed, bath and beyond, it's very Ikea like, easy to put together for the unskilled like myself. The organizer has 3 pink drawers, it's actually meant to be used as an office or dorm piece but I had inside the closet of my apartment to store my undergarments since I had no real set of drawers when I lived in my apartment. I took it with me when I moved back to my parents and had some items stored in it. When I moved in with Shawn I left it at my parents, the night of my accident I stopped by my parents house to pick up this organizer to use at Shawn's. My clothes have gotten out of hand for the space we are living in and I had a couple of piles of clothes placed haphazardly in the bedroom because the drawers I have held no more room for them. So this organizer was in the trunk of my car for awhile, while it was being stored at Higbie collision before the insurance company declared it totaled. Shawn and I finally went back to the car to pick it up, we had to take the plates off the car to return them to the DMV as well. So I put the organizer together, now I have my panties, stockings, and shorts to wear under my dresses for the summer stored in this thing. I can't buy any more clothes, my pile of clothes are overflowing even with two bags set aside for good will. Yet I know sometime in the future I will pick up more clothes or get some as presents, although I've been trying to curb my spending lately so that may not happen.

Day 38 - February 7, 2012 - It's Phantom Month!

 

It seems this month I have Phantom Phever....okay maybe that isn't any different from my regular life, although for 2012 this is the first time a phantom photo is appearing. I have been obsessed with this story in all forms (although the ALW version, as much of a bastard as ALW is, is my poison of choice) since 1994. This month I've been reading nothing but what's in my phantom of the opera collection on my kindle, London's 25th anniversary concert was released on DVD (I purchased the blu-ray), Phantom's 10,000th performance on Broadway is coming up, I just fell into an eBay trap and won the auction for a Las Vegas magazine featuring an article on the phantom production, recently published, a car I'm currently going to look at is from 1994 (the year I became a phan)....okay maybe that's stretching it but you get the picture this month my obsession is in full force and I can't get enough phantom. I took this photo while watching my blu ray of the 25th anniversary London concert, of course once it was shipped to me I had to open it and watch right away.

Day 37 - February 6, 2012 - Time to get serious

So I've lived with Shawn for seven months. When I first moved in I created a cleaning schedule, I was determine to do something every night or day that would take little time because I was planning to keep up with this chore on a weekly basis in order to keep our place clean. That kind of didn't happen. I actually haven't had a clean place since maybe winter/early spring of '10. Once my apartment started to go to hell after the flood I kind of gave up on taking pride in the place and trying to keep it clean. So I looked at the cleaning schedule, added weekly tasks to my phone and today worked on the kitchen a little bit. Since then I missed vacuuming but I'm going to work on it later tonight or on Friday, I'm kind of afraid to bust out the vacuum I'm convinced it doesn't really like me but I will have to do it. 

Day 36 - February 5, 2012 - Sissy La La superbowl cake

I did something semi rare for my lifetime but I guess Americans do take part in these kinds of things once in awhile. I actually have done this multiple times before although I could care less, I just knew other people who were throwing it or going to one. I'm talking about the ever so popular super bowl and the party that goes with it. Last year Shawn and I could give a crap, this year his family threw a party for it so we went. His mom was trying to make a football cake so she used blue for the giants and green for the patriots. During her decorating process she kind of gave up and created the feminine super bowl cake or as she called it the sissy la la super bowl cake. It was actually a good cake, I didn't need any footballs on it to go for a piece.

Day 35 - February 4, 2012 - Creepy book

I'm a big reader, Shawn and I just saw this movie a few weeks ago so I rented the book from work to read. This book creeped me out worse then a true crime novel. The author spoke about UFOs more then the Mothman and the Silver Bridge accident in Point Pleasant. It was creepy to read of the UFO encounters/sightings as well as contactee encounters with aliens. I was more creeped out because there were UFO sightings on Ocean Parkway where I had my accident, so now I'm getting kind of paranoid and thinking that maybe aliens had to do with my accident even though that probably isn't true.

Day 34 - February 3, 2012 - Actually eating a fruit for once

So I'm a very bad vegetarian. I refuse to eat meat but I also rarely make fruits or vegetables a part of my daily diet. This morning I bought a lunch from Starbucks because I didn't have enough time in the morning to put together a cheese sandwich (my coffee was more important). I had their cheapest bistro box, which involved eating semi healthy and actually digesting some fruit lol.

Day 33 - February 2, 2012 - Goodbye car keys! Goodbye!

I didn't really throw my car keys in the trash, although I'm sure after some sitting on my desk that's what's going to happen to them. I did place them in an empty garbage bin to stage this photo though. As you might be guessing from the title of this entry and the photo of the car keys in the trash, sadly Garnier has been declared totaled by Geico. We are getting back the value of what we paid for the car in a check, but for now and probably for a very long time I'm carless again. The driving and car ownership was fun for the five days that it lasted. I think Shawn's brother wants us to start hunting for a very basic, very cheap car again, something that I can practice driving with but won't be such a hurtful loss if I end up banging it up again due to a stupid mistake and misjudgement like what caused this accident in the first place. I don't think I want to car hunt again for awhile though, this took so much time for this car to be gone in the span of five minutes. Shawn and I just have too much to do with this wedding, I've survived without a car for so long and although having a car to drive is great I can continue to manage without one for awhile longer. So we'll see but I'd rather wait until summer to hunt for a car again.

Day 32 - February 1, 2012 - Finally saying goodbye to the little pencil that caused so much controversy

So I have had this pencil that I've pretty much worked down to an itty bitty stump. Now the pencil has an interesting story that of course happened to me at work, you can read the story here. I was pretty sure I couldn't get this pencil into the sharpener anymore so I decided that after I was done using it for the day I was going to say goodbye to it and drop it into the box where the library keeps golf pencils for the patrons to write with. It would be the snazziest pencil among the tiny pencils. Hopefully some weird patron won't end up picking it up to take home and make a shrine with if I by chance have any creepy stalker patrons that might like me. I was playing around with my camera settings and decided this photo was to be in sepia to commemorate my relationship that I will always remember with this itty bitty stump of a pencil.

Day 31 - January 31, 2012 - It's daylight a little longer each day again

It's been a month and I've kept up with photos for the day so far! I know even though this year has been a little disheartening so far that I will do this project and complete a second year of daily photos. Who knows, if we don't get hit with anything apocalyptic to end the world as predicted for this year I might even continue many more years of this daily photo stuff, I kind of like it.

So as normal in NY when fall and winter hit it gets darker outside earlier. Once January hits though the daylight last a little longer each day. The weather has also been a little warmer then normal which has been great. Took this photo at the bus stop, while it was still light outside.

Day 30 - January 30, 2012 - Sleepy commuter

I was really really really tired. I have a bad habit of staying up late, sometimes I'm not even up late I just can't sleep well. Sunday was one of the nights I couldn't sleep well. I ended up dragging my ass through work. When I got on the train and got a seat before I completely passed out I took this staged self portrait of myself fake sleeping to portray my tiredness because it's really all I thought about the whole day until I got home to have dinner, shower and go to sleep.

Day 29 - January 29, 2012 - Is Garnier a goner?

So we went to see the car, first time we saw it since it was towed. Yosef thinks it's totaled, I'm holding out a small hope that the insurance company might decide to fix it.

Day 28 - January 28, 2012 - My new breakfast of choice during the morning rush

For awhile last year I ate pop tarts for Breakfast. I would heat up my pop tarts, wrap them in foil and eat them while I was on the train to work. Now I've taken a liking to these Clif bars. They are 99 cents each at Trader Joe's so every once in awhile I make a trip to Trader Joe's to stock up on these guys and packets of noodles that I microwave on Thursday nights at work for dinner. Now in the morning while I'm drinking my coffee and getting dressed, or the night before I throw a clif bar in my bag and munch it for breakfast while I'm on the train. During the mere few days I had my car I ate them while driving. That's not going to happen for awhile now.

Day 27 - January 27, 2012 - BARRY!

For some silly reason I absolutely adore Barry Manilow. My godmother gives me woman's world magazine to read when she is finished reading it. I was leafing through one of the past issues she gave me and found this photo of Barry when he was much younger plus a little blurb about him and his song "Mandy". I got very excited and clipped it out of the magazine to put on one of my cork boards. For now I have 3 cork boards on the wall by my computer desk. I tack random things up there, this one was pretty empty because I took Christmas cards off of it, so there was plenty of room for this picture of a younger Barry for me to oogle. Poor Shawn, on my cork boards are pictures of Barry Manilow and David Hasselhoff as Micheal Knight. I feel bad for what my fiancee has to deal with, for some reason despite my many quirks the guy still loves me as I love him.

Day 26 - January 26, 2012 - A rare visit from Kissy

We have 5 cats at home, for the most part they have free roaming range in between both sections of the house if we keep the door open at the stairway leading down to our place. Kissy cat used to stay upstairs with Terry and barely made an appearance at our place, so I was surprised to see her cuddling on top of some of my dirty clothes that didn't make it to the hamper yet. I documented Kissy's visit and since it was the only photo I took it became the photo of the day. This year's project is going okay but I'm currently lacking enthusiasm for it so I'm not sure it's going to be great work. I've been on this trend where I just snap one photo and call it a day, hopefully I'll start snapping more. One of the things that's not really helping is that I am keeping my camera in a case in my tote bag so it's not easily accessible to whip out while I'm traveling. Perhaps I'll have to sling around my body some more, it's kind of impossible to manage that with a heavy jacket on, so maybe in the better weather I'll start having more shots to chose from.