Condo Picts

I finally have the correct cord to attach my camera to my computer! I know that you have all waited patiently (ok, some people have not been so patient - you know who you are) for me to post pictures of the condo I am renting in Ludington. Your wishes have been answered!

My Kitchen.

My dining room

The view from my balcony off the bedroom

My bed with stuff on it.

My lack of clothing in a huge walk in closet.

My bathtub! It is not a jacuzzi, but is still great.

Dad enjoying the living room furniture.

Hope you all enjoyed the picts!

Winter Wonderland (Ok, not really)

First of all I must apologize for my lack of blogging, my loving (nagging :)) sister left me a voice mail saying that I have not updated my blog for the last 4 days. I can honestly say that I have thought about updating my blog, but since I started a new job my brain is on overload! Even as I am typing this post, I am trying not to think about how much time I have already spent at the computer today.

The weather has been nasty up here - snow, 40 mph winds, and ice. Here are some of the things I learned this week about surviving a blizzard:

1. When it snows over a foot in Ludington, there are no more turn lanes in the middle of the roads. Why? Because they snowplow all of the snow into the turn lanes turning them into snow piles that are 5 feet tall. Fortunately I have not had to use one!
2. You should really be driving something with 4 wheel drive. I say this not due to the road conditions, but due to the fact that I really wished I had it in order to get out of my underground parking garage the other day. There was so much snow and ice that I had to have two guys help push me up the steep ramp. They are my heroes! I wish I knew their names and where they lived - I would bake them something.
3. Always wear your winter boots outside no matter how hideous they look with your outfit. Your feet will not get cold and you will not slip and fall on your butt.
4. Learn to love the sound of the howling wind blowing at your bedroom windows. Or else it will keep you awake all night long!
5. Make sure you have all your groceries. I did have all mine, but some people at work didn't and the roads have been nasty.
6. Enjoy an adult beverage in the nice, hot bath. This goes a long way to soothing the soul!

P.S. - at 10pm every night there is a loud siren that goes off and it scares the crap out of me every night. Apparently it is the curfew alarm, but it sounds like a tornado siren to me!

Home Sweet Home

It is about 6pm and I am finally moved into the condo I am renting up in Ludington. It is a really beautiful place and I am lucky to have friends like the Wilcox's. Mom & Dad came up with the truck packed full of my stuff and helped me move in. Mom helped me decorate a little, while Dad tested out the chairs and TV. We also went to Meijers for groceries and a few essentials.

I was going to post some pictures of my place, but I grabbed the wrong camera cord and I cannot stick my memory card into my computer. So, pictures will have to wait till the end of the week - sorry! Thanks again to the Wilcox's for the great place to stay and to Mom & Dad for all the hard work!

P. S. - New job starts tomorrow!

Packing 101

As most of you may already know, I recently received a job offer in Ludington, MI. On one hand I am excited to start a new job, on the other hand I have to move up to Ludington because it is 2 hours away from my family's home in Belmont. The coolest thing about the move is the fact that until May of this year I will be renting a condo from the nicest people I know! It is really nice and only 5 min from work, which is a TON better than living and commuting from my parents cottage in Newaygo (a full hour one-way from Ludington on a nice sunny day). Needless to say that I have some packing to do!

Here are some do's and don'ts of packing (which I may or may not have followed):

1. Make a list - Did I do this? Kind of...
2. Be organized, it will help you to make sure you have everything - I AM doing this! After working for my friend this summer and having to pack the huge 6 horse trailer for most of the shows, I have learned that being organized when you pack makes it much easier to figure out if you have everything. Once I move into my condo however, I cannot guarantee that it will continue to stay as organized as when I packed it.
3. Try to ignore the sad little brown eyes of your dog (an 80 lbs Labradoodle named Dozer) as he is laying on your bed watching you pack and he is upset cause he cannot come with you (only condo owners can bring dogs, which is completely understandable).
4. Make sure to pick a fight with your brother so that you realize how nice it will be to live by yourself in peace and quiet (just kidding. He knows I love him, but he can be such a pain sometimes).
   
5. Make sure to bring your parents up with you to help you move in. They help make the process go a lot faster and they most likely will take you out to one last dinner (and possibly a drink) before they leave.

All in all I am excited to start a new job, but not as excited to leave my family, dog and horse behind me. Things will work out, I just have to make the best of my new Life in Ludington.

P.S. - Anyone reading this has my sister to thank because she kept nagging me about "You should write a blog when you move to Ludington." She also had a couple of different titles for my blog, but they didn't necessarily sound all that savory!