I had a job interview at a home decorating store today. It's owned by a larger, well known home improvement chain, so their hiring standards where in line with the parent company's.

I first had to take an online test before I could qualify for the the interview. Those are easy enough, just don't say you lose your temper easily, or steal when you feel angry at the company. (Although, I'm angry at my company, so I stole all the Twix out of the mixed candy bag. Don't tell.)

So I received the call for the interview a few days ago, and scheduled the interview for today.

The interview itself went fine, with the usual questions. The job honestly sounds great. It'd be similar pay to what I make now, but it a much more related field to what I'm going to school for. They sounds fairly relaxed, especially compared to my current employer.

Then I had to take an IQ test. I'm not super worried about it, because I consider myself to be moderately intelligent. It was timed however, which is a little weird to me. I've never been on an interview where you have to take a timed IQ test. You had to answer 50 questions in 12 minutes. They said no one ever finished it. I came pretty close, but no.

So I guess I'll know in a few days.

Would you hire this person to sell chaise lounges and throw pillows?

It’s funny to me how variable our opinions on weight can be. Fat, skinny. Chunky, thin. It’s all relative.

I, like most people, have put on a little weight over the last few years since I’ve been out of high school. Not an exceptional lot, it’s less than ten pounds. However, I hate the way it sits on me. It’s all in my hips and thighs. I have a small frame, so the extra weight is really evident on me. I’ve also gained a size (or two, depending on the brand). I was a four or a six, now I wear up to an eight.

Trust me when I say I worry about this weight a lot. Obsess, possibly. I work out and eat (mostly) healthy, but the weight is stubborn. At this point, I’m really just hoping to maintain more so than lose.

On Saturday, my boyfriend, his brother, and his brother’s fiancé were discussing weight. My boyfriend’s brother said he’d be happy if he just lost his gut. His fiancé said she’d be happy if she were “Amanda-sized”.

This blew my mind.


Here I am, constantly looking down on myself, beating myself up for weighting more than 130 pounds, while someone else is envying me. I knew she had put on a few pounds, but it turns out she weighs closer to 180. I honestly would have thought we weighed about the same. That’s how distorted my perception of myself is. There’s a 45 pound difference between us, but I still thought we were the same size. That’s kind of fucked up.

But what can I do? How can I make myself see myself more clearly? I can't stop seeing the chubby thighs and the way my stomach rolls a bit when I sit down. I know in my head that 135 pounds isn't huge. I know that a size eight isn't gigantic. I see other size eights and think they look fine, healthy even. I can't feel the same way about myself.

I was at work on Saturday and a patient came in and was clearly flirting with me. People flirt with us fairly regularly at our office, but I guess that's normal. However, I've only been asked out a few times while at the job. At this job anyway, people would ask me out all the time at Blockbuster. They were probably trying to get to my free rentals.

So anyway, this guy was clearly flirting with me. Before he left, he took the plunge.

HIM: Let me ask you a question.
ME: Alright... (I'm beginning to get suspicious here)
HIM: Do you like food?
ME: Um... yes. (Definitely suspicious)
HIM: Do you maybe want to get something to eat with me? Or do you have a boyfriend?
ME: I have a boyfriend.
HIM: That hurts.

This was odd to me. I haven't heard a pick up line like that since I was in high school. I wasn't totally aware adults used pick up lines, especially cheesy ones like that. I guess I haven't spent a lot of time at bars and places, since I've been in a relationship since I was 15. Not with the same guy, obviously, but I've jumped from one relationship to the next. I've only been single for about three weeks since I was a sophomore.

What are your feelings on pick up lines?

Would you ask out someone at your doctor's office the first time you met them? Wouldn't you be embarrassed to go back to the doctor after she turns you down?

First, Happy Memorial Day.

So, one of the bands I like is Coldplay. They have an awful reputation and I don't know why. I've been listening to them ever since Yellow came out in 99. Yes, Chris Martin is a bit whiny, but I don't mind falsetto. Anyhoo, I've heard two of the songs off of their upcoming album, Violet Hill and Viva La Vida, and both sound awesome. It's a little more "rock" than Coldplay usually does, but I like it.

I like this commercial a lot, it features Viva La Vida and it looks cool. I don't pretend to understand technology, so to me, it's just pretty to look at.

For our five year anniversary, we went to a little restaurant called Niche. We had a relatively low key dinner and evening. We started with a cheese plate with some cheese I had never heard of, but resembled brie. Then I had the lamb chops with some sort of fava bean salad and some wilted greens. I never know what any of this food is. The main attraction for me was our dessert. It was a S'more Semifreddo, with homemade marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. Yum.

Mostly I just wanted to show you what my boyfriend got me for our anniversary. Yes, that's right, just what every girl wants on her fifth anniversary. A box of zebra cakes and a 40 Year Old Virgin card. It said Happy Birthday, but he scratched birthday out and wrote in Anniversary. It even says "Kelly Clarkson!" when you open it, along with other waxing related quotes. He's just so romantic, you know? Okay, you can stop being jealous now.



(*To be fair, the Radiohead tickets were also my present)

In the fall of 2002, a new manager was transferred to my store. In all honesty, we thought he was gay at first. Then we met his fiance, so we changed our minds. Months went by and this person became my favorite manager. He was funny and smart, and always gave me a break when I didn't want to do something. We became good friends as time went on, and eventually. starting developing feelings for each other.

However, he was engaged, and I had a boyfriend of two years (which is a long time in high school). First my boyfriend and I broke up, and I realized just how much I liked my manager. Then my manager broke up with his fiance, and it was inevitable.

When he asked me out, it was quite romantic. I believe it went something like this:

HIM: I'm not doing anything tomorrow if you want to see the Matrix Reloaded.
ME: Um, sure.

See? Romantic.

So he picked me up one afternoon during the last week of my senior year of high school, and we saw the Matrix. After the movie, we were in my driveway, and I said:

ME: I have to go, American Idol is on.
HIM: Um, okay.

In my defense, it was the finale (Ruben and Clay, specifically).

Thankfully we went out again the next day to see a movie with mutual friends of ours, and I actually invited him in to see the second half of Idol. That's the only time he's ever seen it, he refuses to watch it with me.

And we've been together ever since. Five years is a really freaking long time.

Happy Anniversary, baby.

I just wanted to share a video from the concert I went to on Wednesday. This is sadly not my video, as I was much, much further away.