The fat lady is singing...

I've gotten everything moved and I'm sitting here in the Hawthorne Terrace Best Western blogging on their high speed internet.

I will never see my apartment again (except in my memories and/or nightmares)). I will never have to find dog poop in the lobby or the stairwells... and I won't have to listen to my neighbor sing along to Roxette.

The picture up above is from graduation the other day... I have figured out how to use my new version of iPhoto (sort of). and I think it will be spiffy.

Tonight it's off to Friar Tuck's and then we get up bright and early to head for the airport (4:30 yikes).

I guess I better go... talk at you all later.

This time, will be the last time....

that we will blog like this. That is sitting on the futon in front of my television set with a cup of coffee.

The movers come today and then it's cleaning, checking out of the old apartment and into the hotel. Tonight we are going to Friar Tuck's down the street for karaoke and beer. Hopefully people will be able to come out. I'd like to say goodbye.

Let me take this moment to reflect on my time in Chicago.... it's been intense but fun. I've met some great people who will be my friends for life (you know who you are) and I've come to appreciate my family even more that I did before I left. I'm feeling exhausted but good. I've also learned that dogs are the best pets ever.

Along the ww / body image front... I think I'm more confident that I was when I left. I'm not too bad looking for a 40 year old broad. I have actually learned to throw away food - I can outwalk anyone and I generally feel good about myself.

Well, I guess that's it from the futon.. I wonder what Ann Curry is wearing today... she has an interview with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie coming up!

A new friend on the futon (take two).

Now my Momma is sitting next to me on the futon. We got up at 5:00 and have already begun cleaning up this pit I call an apartment. I am running out of time - but I have faith everything will work out.

I have to go to the studio today to finish cleaning and packing my stuff. I also have to go and finish de-installing my piece at G2.

Well, I guess I better get off my butt and move.

I'm feeling a bit better...

I only woke up a few times last night.

Am I an adult now? I think I am. I think I have been a while.

Now that I am semi coherent I will catch you up on the drama/fun of yesterday. I went to my last Weight Watchers meeting in the morning - I'm just a sap when it comes to saying goodbye. I couldn't say anything because I would have burst into tears and ruined my makeup, so Lisa who is the leader I've been working for (who was leading this meeting), told everyone that I was leaving.

After the meeting we went to Graduation. Man was it hot.... I got my diploma cover (diploma to be mailed later), some flowers from my sister and then we (Mom, Dad, Melissa, Hilary, Grant and Katie) went to the reception at the gallery where my mothers wallet was stolen (WELCOME TO CHICAGO!). She figured out it was gone in the car ride back to the hotel. By the time she called the credit card company there had been over 3,500 in charges made. Good thing she's staying until Thursday - we are trying to figure out how she's going to get on the airplane without id.

Later in the afternoon I purchased the Earth Shoes I've been looking at forever. I saved a whopping $11.00!

Finally, we went to dinner at Pizanno's and I ate cheese sticks, pizza and some yummy cookie ice cream thing.

I've started selling some of my things so I'm raking in the cash...

Today I have to deinstall my work and get some of the boxes from my studio. I'm not really sure how I'm going to fit all the stuff in my apartment plus accomadate my momma.

Although I'm still busy I don't feel quite as stressed out as I was a few days ago. Only four days until I get to live with my dog again. Oh the joy.

My poor little computer.

I had to take Old Crusty to the Apple Store yesterday. It's probably going to cost me 300 bucks to get her fixed... but what's another 300 bucks added onto grad school.

Guess what??? the school is charging us a $35.00 graduation fee. Like I have money falling out of my pockets.

I guess I'm going to have to change the title of the Blog after next weekend. If anyone has any thoughts about it let me know. I suppose it could just be called Jenerator's Rant but it sounds a bit sparse. Jenerator's Art World Rant.... Jenerator's find me a job Rant... Jenerator's reproduction challenge Rant... I guess I'll have to think about that one...

This afternoon I started packing up my studio... it's going to be a long process. I have a lot of stuff.

SIMON...if you read this part - I will send you pictures of stuff once my computer is fixed.

I'm feeling a bit of melancholy and nostalgia for my last week or so here... I'm a bit sad.. but happy as well.

Things on my to do list for Seattle.
Find a job.
Take walks.
Teach my dog how to walk on a leash (she doen't like doing that at all... but how am I going to attract single eligible men without her??? - yeah, I know... my sparkling personality!)
Hang out with my family.
Drive my car.
Visit my Chiropractor.
Visit Galleries.
Get a greek herb rotisserie chicken from Fred Meyer.
Learn how to fire a gas kiln.
Eat Spud fish and chips (in moderation).
Make art!

I've got to get my ass in gear...

I need to figure out how to do podcasts, work on my artist statements and start training. I also need to remember to have children.

I got the estimate for moving today. Not as much as renting a truck but still not cheap. It seems kind of wierd having a moving date... May 23rd. Part of me feels like I'm abandoning Chicago but there's the other part that really misses Seattle. Oh well, I'm sure it'll get worse before it gets better.

I must say though, that I am glad that I cleaned up my apartment. It's nice to come home to a nice clean(ish) place.

On Saturday there is going to be a Fibers get together... I'm taking the bottle of Grappa I picked up in Chianti... I also need to make some sort of tappas type thing. Any ideas?

Some things...

Okay, so I did get a few things accomplished today. I sent images and an artist statement to the curator who visited last week and I am working on cleaning up the apartment. I can't believe I'll be out of here in less than three months... yikes! So much to do so little time... The weather is getting better.... hopefully I can break out the shorts soon...

I've been having this crazy urge to run like the wind... I've bought an external microphone to plug into the digital recorder so I can record as I run. I think I mentioned the run to Wrigley in a couple weeks... I may have to sign up.

Monday Smonday...

Let's see... what's going on today. I REALLY have to get my crap together (artist statement etc....). There is a lecture at noon and then the Odyssey Travel Grants drawing at 4:30. That is a pretty cool thing - a woman donates money for 20 students to travel anyplace they want. There is a random drawing - so anyone can win. Last year there were two special drawings for places that were pre-determined (but you got extra cash)... Maybe I will be lucky. I just said I wanted to go to Europe, exact itinerary to be determined later. I would like to go back to Spain.... I would also like to visit my cousin in Brussell's as well. (Okay, I'm not sure if I punctuated the s on Brussels correctly... don't hold it against me... that's why I'm an artist.). (okay the spell check kicked in and I think I spelled it right the last time...)

Today I'm also going to try to finish cleaning up my apartment, a mover is coming by tomorrow to give me an estimate and I should clean up some of my crap.

Less than five weeks left of my thirties.... I was going to say something self-depricating but I'm trying to not do that anymore...

What's a girl to do?

This afternoon I went back to the dentist to have my post and (Insert the name of what it's called in here) done. I now have a stainless steel rod in my tooth just waiting for a crown. I can either have the dentist here do it for 1,295 dollars or I can wait and have my dentist back in Seattle do it. I'll have to call and ask how much it will cost there... I'm going for the cheapest crown I can get. I can chew on the right side of my mouth for two and a half more months...

On another note I was looking online at moving companies... I requested free estimates... the biggest drawback is that they are going to be contacting me via phone. I HATE TALKING TO PEOPLE. I know it's hard to believe... but really I'm shy.