Plan for the next two days...

I have a plan for the next two days:

With packed car, drive to work-- CHECK!
Work for 8 hours.
Drive packed car to new apartment, check in.
Unpack car.
Drive back to old apartment, re-pack car.
Get ready for a party in Salt Lake. Check time.
Go to new apartment, unpack again. Go to party. (can be reversed if time does not allow for the unpacking.)
Go to old apartment.
Sleep.

Wake up.
Repack car. Drive to new apartment.
Unload.
Drive back to old apartment. Meet co-worker who is bringing her huge truck.
Load the last few items into car and truck with the help of roommate, roommate's mom, and co-worker.
Drive to new apartment.
Meet friends who are helping, and two boys from my new ward¹ and unload truck and car.
Give treats (I'm thinking about getting muffins from Costco).
Go into new apartment.
Start organizing.

¹ Brian. I accomplished the task you gave me to do. Now, what's my reward supposed to be?

Moving (The Before)

Everyone knows that moving is a pain. I understood that even more as I spent months trying to find a good apartment, and then decide if I wanted to move in by myself or with other girls, and lastly now that I'm in the process of packing. I've been sharing an apartment with two other girls, and my goodness--I have SO much stuff. Where this stuff has been for the last year, I have no idea. I've had the smallest room of all of them (it really should be a study rather than a third bedroom), but I still have lots of stuff.


I've taken a few pictures of my stacks of things. They're organized in the front room so that on Tuesday night I can pack my car to the max for the first of hopefully only 4 trips (one with one of my co-worker's trucks that she has graciously donated for my use). We'll see if we can do it. I'm hoping the move lasts 2 days, and then I will have 2.5 days to work at organizing.

Plus, I have to buy just one piece of furniture:
A couch. And I have one in mind. It's from Costco. And it's THIS:

Yeah. I'm excited. Only five more days.

I don't know what my internet access will be like at my new place--I'm waiting a bit before I get cable tv/internet to make sure all my bills are what I expected. But I promise to try and post as soon as I have semi-moved in.

Big News

I would put "late-breaking news" or something to that effect, but I'm pretty sure that it's not "new" news. As most of you know, I work in Salt Lake. I'm currently living in Orem, sharing an apartment with a couple of other girls. For various reasons (and mostly because of the price of gas!), I have decided to move closer to work.

After weeks of looking at apartments, etc, I decided on getting a one bedroom apartment and trying to live without roommates for a little bit. This again comes from personal experiences and because I just don't know any good single girls in Salt Lake City. I found a place in Murray, close to I-15.

So, I'm moving there beginning on July 23rd. I will be living within a mile of the Trax station, so I can ride a bike or walk, instead of using my car, during the nice weather months, and I will be saving on plenty of gas--which is good because I'm paying more rent! But I am thrilled.

Here's a picture of the floorpan of my new apartment:

It has a stacked washer and dryer that come with the apartment, plus I have a little patio out back (I'm on the first floor). I'm very excited to try a new experience. I didn't sign a full year's contract, in the hopes that I might find another girl in the ward who has a similar personality (or complimentary) to mine, or maybe even a husband while I'm out there (I'm not holding my breath or anything).

So yes, moving day begins on July 23rd, and runs through July 25th (or hopefully the end of the day on July 24th). I honestly can't tell you how happy I am. I'm currently in the midst of packing and BOY do I have a lot of stuff. I think I'm going to have to do some DI sorting (which I've already started to do!).

I'll post pictures once I move in, but this is just a word of warning that the next two weeks will probably not have as many updates.

Summertime

So, I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures from my trip home last week. It was a great time filled with afternoons by the pool (with a sunburn or two and some tanning), sleeping in, races, homemade ice cream--my only complaint was that it was just too short! But I had a lot of fun and it made me realize how much I miss being around my family and not have screaming kids or fighting or hyperactiveness. It was actually a rather fun weekend. So, here are the pictures I have. They're all of my nephews. But that's because my nephews are so darn cute!

Back at work...

Well, I guess that every vacation has to come to an end.
I'm not back to work and the routine. I'll post some pictures tonight or tomorrow about my time at home. It was oh so much fun! I wish it had lasted another week.

For now, I guess I'll enjoy work. And be doing a lot of this:


Cheers.

Presenting...

I would like to introduce you to the newest member of my family:


That's right. I got a MacBook.

You may be asking yourself why? Why would Laurel be buying a MacBook? She has a nice PC Laptop. Why whould she try to learn a new system. She's never worked with a Mac.

Well, a few things brought this about. 1) I use a Mac at work. Go figure. For the design and publishing world--it's all about the Apple computer.

And 2) my PC laptop is overheating like crazy and also is having some problems with cracking on the case. It's a tragedy that I have to retire said laptop. It's been with me for so long. Through my senior thesis and other such crazy experiences. But we all must move on. Plus, I need to get used to the Mac. Especially when I want to try and work at Real Simple. I need to become proficient in a few things so that I am more marketable. We'll see. But I'm very pleased with my purchase. No regrets.