The last time I checked in with a virtual coffee date was in May! I think it’s high time we sit down again, don’t you think?
If we were having coffee today… I’d probably want to tell you about the incredibly cool experience I had this past week. My local Painting With a Twist hosted an event for the victims of the Orlando shooting and I was so honored to attend. I went with a group of coworkers (there were 12 of us in total!) and it was a really wonderful night. I’m not much of an artist, so I don’t particularly enjoy things like painting because I put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect, even though I just don’t have that creative gene. So my painting didn’t turn out that great, but I’m still glad I went and showed my support. In the end, this little event raised more than $2,000 for The OneOrlando Fund, and I got to spend a few hours with my coworkers (whom I love dearly), so it was a special night.
If we were having coffee today… I might express excitement over the fact that I have a $50 credit sitting in my Amazon account, due to their recent lawsuit. I’m guessing I got such a big payout due to the year I spent more than $650 on Kindle e-books. Heh. (I have since gone back to using the library and only buying e-books when absolutely necessary.) I’m not sure what I’m going to spend my money on, but I think I might buy something very boring like pots and pans since I’m going to need them when I move into my own apartment in the fall.
If we were having coffee today… you might ask me to clarify what I meant by that last statement. And I’d tell you that things aren’t 100% confirmed yet, but it looks like Roomie and I will be moving to our own places in the fall. There’s a part of me that’s sad, a part of me that’s excited, and a part of me that’s really nervous. I am sad because I love living with Roomie and will miss having her around (though we’re planning to do weekly date nights because we need them in our life!) I am excited because I don’t love living in Tampa and want to be back on the “right” side of the bridge (as the locals say here). And I am nervous to figure out how to afford living on my own (rent prices for one-bedroom apartments are astronomical, truly). Deep breaths. It will all work out exactly the way it is meant to.
If we were having coffee today… I might talk to you about my intense need for a new mattress and ask if you have any tips for getting an affordable mattress. The mattress I sleep on now is only a full and was a hand-me-down, so it’s really time for an upgrade. A mattress store near me is having a going-out-of-business sale with mattresses up to 70% off! I might go in and check it out – can’t hurt, right?
If we were having coffee today... you might ask me about dating and I’d probably just roll my eyes and groan. I’m back on Tinder after a brief hiatus, mainly because I feel like nothing happens on OK Cupid anymore and I’m not ready to join Match just yet. My last few dates (all from OK Cupid) have been a snoozefest and I am feeling discouraged about romance.
If we were having coffee today… you might see my eyes light up when I talked about the progress I’m making on my novel. I’m still not writing as much as I want to (sometimes I daydream about working part-time, where I could spend my afternoons working on my novel, but then I remember I really love getting a fat paycheck, so nah). When I do get the chance to write, I love the process so, so, so much. There’s truly nothing like bringing characters to life on paper (or document, as the case may be!)
Okay, a coffee date can’t be all one sided! What would you tell me about during our coffee date?
I can relate to the excitement/nerves/fear about living alone. I had all those same emotions leading up to my first solo apartment, too. I’m a lot like you in that I’m introverted, need alone time, etc., and I was nervous that I’d turn into a hermit living along. I wound up really, really loving it and still miss living alone at times. You are right: it will ALL work out the way it’s supposed to. I don’t have any tips on the mattress front other than to shop a big sale! I like to look at big purchases over holiday weekends when stores typically have specials going on. We got our living room/dining room furniture New Year’s weekend for half off. I’ve been trying to convince my sister to give up Tinder and try Match instead. She’s not looking for hookups or something casual, and she keeps striking out. It’s so tough. She says she doesn’t want to pay for a boyfriend, and I get that. But the world is so different than it was even five years ago, and social media has made humans super anti-social in “real life” – it sucks.
Happy weekend, friend! If we were having coffee I would probably talk a lot about how we only have TWENTY days until we find out if this little bean is a boy or girl. I cannot focus on anything else these days!!
The year I lived alone was one of my most fun and favorite years. I had a red kitchen. A sunroom. Adorable stained glass windows. It was scary at first, moving out on my own and having no roommate to share bills with but I loved it and I hope that when you get there, you love it too.
Things I would tell you today.
I made it through one work week of being a working mom and phew, I’m exhausted. I haven’t been able to keep my eyes open past 9:30pm most nights but we have had a lot of fun and all things considered, the girls are doing great!
It’s going to be 89 here today which basically feels like fall after the heat wave we have been having!
I am SO excited for date night with Knight tomorrow.Who knew that it took kids to be here for us to actually go OUT on date night? 🙂
I did a double take when I read the sentence about you getting a place of your own, so I am glad you added another paragraph about that decision! As you know, I lived alone for MANY years. It’s definitely more expensive but I really loved it! I had a very small salary at the time so it was a little stressful but I was able to make it work. Hopefully you can find a space with a price tag you can swallow.
If we were having coffee today, I’d tell you that I am looking forward to a full week off in July! I had a week off for my surgery, but that wasn’t really a vacation, so I am very excited for a full week of vacation – plus I will get to see all of my siblings up at the lake! I can’t remember the last time we were all together so this is very exciting! I’d also talk to you about how great the transition to living with Phil has gone! And we’d probably talk about my darn hip! It’s healing well but my biggest struggle is being patient with the healing process…
I LOVE living alone & hope you have a similar experience. It can be hard, & alienating, but the quiet that comes with it is just so nice. As far as (not) paying for books, have you tried BookBub? I’m currently obsessed with it, especially for finding free YA novels to devour in a single sitting. And re: mattresses, I got a coil-free mattress from Overstock.com for just over $100, & I’ve had it for two years now, & IT’S SO GREAT. A great cheap alternative, & it doesn’t even need a box spring!
I’d probably over analyze something I don’t understand with you about social media behavior that has been bothering me ALL week.
I did a double take when I read that sentence too! I have been kind of behind on reading blogs lately so assumed I missed something!! I hope you can find a place that is in your budget!
If we were having coffee today I would probably say how nice it’s been to be back in our own space again. I LOVE my grandma and spending so much time with her was really special but it’s also nice to be on our own again. I’d also say how excited I am for a big shopping trip to Ikea this weekend!!
My mattress tip is to check out Big Lots if you have one! We got a huge majority of our furniture from there, including an awesome pillow top king sized mattress! It was all affordable too.
That’s pretty exciting that you’re getting your own place! I think I would probably like that sometimes being that I’m quite an introvert (but don’t tell Jerry I said that – haha!).
If we were having coffee, we’d probably gab about my upcoming cruise. I’d definitely get your input on some of the excursions. I hope we really do get a coffee date in November. 🙂
Enjoy the weekend!
I would tell you that I received a credit for $79.50 from Amazon and have bought new books with it. I would also tell you that apartment hunting with my mom has been quite complicated but we found a couple that we like.
Eee – that’s scary about Roomie moving out and I hear you on rent being high! I feel like people just can’t afford to LIVE anymore in any city center. It’s insane. I was in Boston and now Honolulu and it’s just like WHAT?!?! I’ll pray something good comes up for you and is available when you actually need it too!
Yay for the novel! I haven’t been following enough to know what it’s about. Are you trying to get it legit published? That’s my dream too!
I am quite obviously way behind on my blog reading, but I love our Ikea mattresses. Big heart love.
And hurray for the writing! Slowly but surely is a step in the right (write?) direction!