Thursday, July 24, 2008 

I wish more people still blogged. You know, with real words instead of pictures.

Hours are pretty light at work this week and next. I'm still getting about 30 per week, but last year at this time I was getting 40... the paychecks were much nicer. I don't think I've worked a 40-hour week since Christmas.

I went and paid my $46.50 in tuition at SVSU today. Got a few more pictures for my scrapbook project too. It's coming along pretty well so far. I've realized that I have a pretty strong tendency to start projects and never finish them, or at least take years to do so (for example, I have a painting that I started while I lived on campus my freshman year of college. I just finished it last spring - three years later). I've been spending a lot of my free time working on this project and with any luck I'll get it done before I lose interest completely - or run out of summer.

What else? I've been pretty much living paycheck to paycheck lately while I pay down my credit cards - I've stopped using them, which is a proud event for me (though I may have to cave in and start again once it comes time to buy textbooks). It's made me a little more frugal with my money, even on Ryan's birthday when we went to Great Lakes Crossing. I came out carrying two bags; he had at least six. Meanwhile the Grand Am needs new tires, which I told myself to pay for partly with my cell phone rebate... but, you can't win 'em all.

Posted by Rachel at 4:03 PM |

Wednesday, July 16, 2008 

Well, nothing much to report. I've been working as usual. For the 4th of July Jake and I just went down to the river to watch the show there (we got some great pictures of the fireworks and a few shots of the river at night).

Saturday I hung out with my mom; we drove around Saginaw, hit Subway and a couple thrift stores. Then she happened to ask me about a church that my friend Jasper had shown me like a year ago; I had mentioned it to my uncle and then forgotten about it. It's a Jewish synagogue, but apparently the preacher (rabbi?) who preaches there also gives sermons at my mom's church regularly, and she seemed to really admire him. So we go to this church, only it's completely unmarked save for a flag with the six-point star and the Hebrew numbers on the doors (which is how my uncle and I knew we were talking about the same church). There were cars in front of the building, but we had no idea whether they were in the middle of the service or what. So here are my mom and I, wandering around outside this building by ourselves... Then, strangely enough, Jasper himself came out and, upon hearing our reason for being there, told us to "go on in!" So, we did, and the preacher/rabbi my mom was talking about was in fact there, and so she got to see him and introduce me to him. She's hoping to go to the service this Saturday and as far as I know she intends for me to come with her.

Could be interesting.

That same day Anna called me up out of the blue and announced that she was in town for the evening, so she, Jake, and I met up with my friend Jon and some of his people to watch the fireworks in Bay City, which were excellent. Afterward Jon invited us over, but Anna was intent on heading downtown to drink, so drink we did. We got Jeff and Cari to come out, along with a couple St.C. people I haven't seen in at least a year. Jake and I headed home at last call, but the others (minus Jeff and Cari) went to Baywood, and I woke up the next morning to Fulmer and Anna on a sleeping bag on my living room floor. Ah, good times...

Anna treated me to lunch at Tony's, where we met up with Cari and Jeff again, and I had a delicious steak sandwich... Then she took me swimming at her brother's place. It was just her and me, since everyone else was busy or had to work, but I had fun. We swam a little and laid out in the sun a little. Talked about boys and such.

Last Saturday I picked up a pair of $5 speakers for my stereo from the Salvation army that actually work (they were sold "as is," and seeing that I didn't have the stereo with me, I couldn't test them). Though we - well, Jake - had some rewiring to do to get it all hooked up, because somebody didn't pay attention to the type of hookup on the back of the speakers when she bought them... Now I can play my records again, and movies can play in stereo! Woo!

Sunday we went to Jake's nephew's birthday party, which means that Sunday morning we were shopping for birthday presents. We were at his parents for the party most of the day, but honestly, I probably like Jake's family more than my own, so I didn't mind at all. Plus two free meals and all the cake I could eat; what else do I need?

Now I've got to get a hold of Ryan and see where he's at; in honor of his birthday being today, we're going shopping.

Posted by Rachel at 12:58 PM |