Happy Halloween!

We had a monster invade our apartment this evening, but don't you worry your pretty little head...Miss Bennet was up for a fight. She took that monster down and ripped it open so that we could sleep in peace and safety. I'm so glad she's around to protect me.

Ahhh...Saturday.

I lied today.

I don't like doing that. So I feel a little bad.

But you would have done the same thing in my situation.

See, I was in the grocery store, standing in the beans aisle, selecting my dry goods.  There were a few of us in the aisle, and I heard someone say "Excuse me, beautiful." Instinctively, I glanced up, wondering if I was the person in the way. There was a man standing there, staring at me, and it sunk in what he'd actually said. Then he said, "Man, you really are beautiful." I was mute, completely flabbergasted. Then, as he was moving around me and away, he asks, "Do you got a boyfriend?"

What was I supposed to do? I hesitated a second, then finally said, firmly, though almost too late to be effective, "Yes."

I even ran through a quick list of my guy friends, debating which one to temporarily place in the boyfriend slot in case Sir Creeps-A-Lot decided to ask any follow-up questions.

I suppose I should be flattered when Random Stranger makes a pass at me or calls me beautiful. But there is a difference between such comments being sincere or flattering and them seeming simply predatory.

I've also just never understood hitting on someone by way of introduction. So I lied.

In other news, today is Saturday! I slept in this morning (6:30am, whoo!), spent some time in bed reading, changed the address on my driver's license, paid rent, went to the bank, Austin Community College to talk to admissions, the library to get a card, H-E-B for some banana bread baking groceries, and then home. It's been a relaxing, yet busy day -- a wonderful end to my extended workweek.

I hope y'all are having a wonderful day too. :)

Much Love from Texas,

C-Jo

And I will bookmark this.

As a habitual "loser," I find this to be brilliant:

You go to the website, type in your phone, and it gets called automatically. For seriously.

I even tested it.

My phone didn't go off.

Or so I thought.

Apparently when I was testing the "find your phone" service, I actually did lose my phone.

It wasn't in the house.

I checked the car.

No dice.

So I hit the button again.

Didn't hear it.

And again.

And walked back out to my car.

There it was, ringing away.

So yeah, it works.

(via)

I'm over the Electra Townie.

This is my new bicycling obsession:

(via www.bikereviews.com)

Gary Fisher Simple City 3.

Sold in Austin.

I'm avoiding going to the bike store so that I won't buy anything before I have the actual cash in hand.

But I want it.

Titles are good.

This post will probably make no sense, which I blame me being super duper tired, which I attribute to today being on the fifth day of an 8-day work week immediately preceded by a whirlwind trip to Galveston and an additional workday.

Only three days left until the weekend, people.

I have every intention to spend the day doing nothing. Unless, of course, I have the opportunity to be social. In which case, I choose society. Because rest is awesome, but sometimes friends are awesome-r.

Mmkay. So part of the reason I'm so tired, besides the longedy long long work week is a total fliparoo in my schedule (pronounce it like this: SHED-jewel). I went from working afternoons/nights in a bar to working mornings and afternoons with book lovers.

I got up at 5:30 this AM. I left my apartment 15 minutes before my body scheduled itself to actually wake up. I've been getting up at 7:30am, without fail, for more than a month. Now it's all kinds of wonky up in here, with me having to be at work by eight. What the deuce?

I'll tell you what the deuce: I LOVE MY NEW JOB.

LOVE IT.

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.

Yes, I'm a receptionist (except I'm called a "Front Office Assistant"), which I didn't really expect to be my profession at almost-25-years old. I don't make great money. It's not a long-term career position.

But here's the dealio: I work for an awesome organization which I will not name on this blog, but I will be happy to share with you provided you are not a creeper or stalker. I'm in a for-now position that will give me amazing experience and connections. I work with three full-time employees who started out as temporary staff members through the agency that pays my bills. And I LOVE IT.

So that's good, right?

Also, working with bookish people means nobody thinks twice about me sitting outside at the picnic table reading for my entire lunch hour. Want to hear about it? Go here: austinbookworm.blogspot.com.

Much loves from Tejas,

C-to-the-JO

Have a nap...and zen fire ze missiles!

Hokay, so.... I am le tired.

This morning I decided it was high time I got back on track with running. So I started a half-marathon training program asking me to walk a total of four miles and run one today.

Admittedly, I only walked 2.5 (because I ran out of time), but I ran the one at (for me) a pretty good clip.

And then I went to work, where a huge party filled the bar and were hungry and waiting to order when we walked in. I can't tell you how many times I ran up and down those stairs (a full flight) and around the bar serving customers. I made a nice chunk of money in under three hours, and then had a couple of hours to do little or nothing before I was cut loose.

I got home a little after five, and took Bennet to the dog park. Sure, I didn't do much there but watch her, but that was more than plenty to push me over the edge. All I want to do now is crawl into bed and pass out, but it's not even 9:00 and I'm not sure I'm okay with being quite that lame at the age of 24.

I might be that lame anyway.

Sundays are a great way to start the week.

Bennet is lying on the floor just staring at me right now. She's kind of adorable.

Oh wait, now there are noises. She wants something, but she needs to wait a moment.

I'm sitting here looking up churches online. There are a few I'd really like to check out - if I didn't have to work at noon. It turns out that agreeing to this work schedule addition is messing up my plans even more than I expected.

Thankfully it'll only be this week and next and then I'll be free (FREE!) on Sundays following. Last night I talked to the manager and told him the situation. I felt bad because there I was, on my first non-training day, telling him I was quitting. But he was totally cool about it, and I'll be working through the next week's schedule before I start the temp-to-hire position.

No, it's not set in stone yet. But Jessica, the staffing manager, is only presenting one candidate (me), and told me it's pretty much a sure thing. So I'm trusting in that, and if not, then I just hope she finds me some other wonderful temp. work to keep me busy and in the monetary way.

I hope you all have a wonderful, restful, and worshipful Sunday!

Much love from ATX,

C-Jo