Trick or Treat!

Well, world, we have a little Halloweenlette in our midst. BJ's little girl Addison is here for the weekend. Tonight, we took her trick or treating in the neighborhood where BJ's parents live. We weren't out for long, because it was chilly and she's only 2, but while we were out she had a BLAST! She couldn't quite get out "Trick or Treat!", but saying "Please" worked well enough for her, and for us. To each person who gave her candy, she said "Thank you," and as we were walking away, she told everyone "Bye!"...even the cars driving down the street! The only minor hitch was her shoulder. Last week, she fell and broke her collar bone, so she has to wear a little sling to keep her shoulders straight. She gets around in it well enough, and her costume hid it. It has a tendency to come loose (it's not exactly the best made medical apparatus in the world), and when it does, she'll go to someone and ask for help, and let then put it back together for her so she can get back to playing. And, play she did, tonight! As well as get good and sugared-up! But she was still very well-behaved for everyone, and by the time we got her home with us, she told us she was ready for bed, so she's sleeping soundly in the bedroom now. Tomorrow, I have plans for her...a little bit of fresh air outside with me and BJ! We have bubbles (which she is obsessed with!), and we also some work to do cleaning out the car and the truck...so while we're taking turns cleaning out the vehicles, whoever isn't cleaning can play in the yard with Addison. Of course, I'll have my camera close by (as usual), and there will be pictures!
In other news, I've undertaken a MONSTROUS task...some of you may remember hearing about a database that I kept for a while of all the music I had on the computer. Well, I've started it up again, only this time, it's much larger. Not only do I have MY music to contend with (all 900 or so songs...), but I know have BJ's collection to add to it. We have a shared external hard drive for random files that we don't need cluttering up the respective computers, so I'm in the process of renaming ALL the music files we have, organizing them into folders according to the standards I've always used, then entering that data in Microsoft Access (a wonderful program, by the way) and making it searchable so we know what we do and don't have.
See, BJ has a channel on BlogTV, and he broadcasts every so often. It's basically just a live chat, where he's on webcam and mic, and people come into the room to talk about whatever. There's also a cohost option, so the room guests can see the host and the cohost (if any) live on cam while everyone chats. Another fun thing that can be done on there is playing music. The guests/chatters can listen to the host and cohost talk, chat with the other room participants and listen to music while they do all that. We're getting it set up so that BJ can more effectively broadcast music on his channel, and I've volunteered my services as the DJ. In order to do that, I'd like to have an accurate record of what music we have or don't have, to make it easier on me to find and play the requested music. This gives me something to fill my time until I start working, and something fun to do in my down time (and yes, for those of you who are wondering - building this database is actually FUN for me...I'm a dork, sue me!).
Well, that's enough for now, I suppose. I'm still working on getting my photo album operational. I'll post a link once I get it set up the way I like it, so everyone can see what I do with my spare time and a camera. Kati + Camera = Mass Quantities of Happy! Until then, I'm off to get some sleep!
Night, everyone!

Workin' Fo Da Man...

Well, everyone...I'm employed! As of yesterday, I'm the newest employee of JCPenney! I filed an online application through a job search site on Saturday, got a phone call from the store on Sunday, and went to my interview Monday. The interview lasted all of about 20 minutes at most, and my interviewer flat-out said, "You are the first person I've interviewed today who has smiled, and I like that. You're smart, you know what you're doing, and you have experience in retail and customer service. We're skipping the second interview process, today is your hire date." How cool is that?!?!
I'll be working in the home decor and childrens' departments because they're side by side and operate on a shared cash register. Plus, I get a 20% employee discount. Cha-CHING! So far, my position is temporary seasonal help, but I asked her if it ended when the season ended, or is there was a possibility of being brought into the departments full-time. She told me that she has room for a few people who are willing to do the job, do it well, and who actually WANT the job and, in her words - "You seem to be someone I have room for in the department." AWESOME!!
As soon as my background check comes back clean (and it will, cause I'm a good girl), I'll go in for training and start working. The pay is actually decent, and that's a good thing. Once I know when they'll have me working, I'll still be looking for a second job, because they only guarantee me 20 hours a week at this point, more if there's more time available to be filled. And I'm not afraid to work overtime, nor am I afraid to have two jobs. I've done it before, I'll gladly do it again.
As it stands, I have applications in at almost any place that will take them. The only places I didn't put in applications are places that I obviously cannot work - auto mechanics, police departments, things like that...things I know absolutely NOTHING about. If I have even the slightest hint about what to do, I'll fill out an application, even just to have it on file with the store/company!
So, that's that! I'm ecstatic, and can't wait to start my new job where I can wear all my pretty clothes again!
On another note about pretty things, I cut my hair last night, all by myself (as usual). Mom doesn't understand how I can cut my own hair, but it's just simple to me. This time around, though, I had to consult the interwebz to get the answers I needed. I wanted layers, and layers I got! It was so easy to cut my hair this way, this is how I'm going to cut it from now on, or at least until I get tired of the layers! What do you think?
Well, that's all for now, I think, Today is a new day, and I'm sure there's something new for me to get into around the house...most likely picking out outfits for work. It's harder for me to pick out nice outfits now that I've lost weight (and I have...I'm a size 7, down from a size 16!), since most of my good clothes didn't fit anymore. I gave them to the GoodWill and the church down the street from where I lived in Keyser before I left. Yes, it's true...I, the Imelda Marcos of clothing, gave it away! And since I mentioned her, I gave away a lot of my shoes, too! Which rather sucks for me, since I have this job now. I gave up a lot of my dancing heels, but to my credit, the ones I kept are my better dressy ones...the more professional ones. I even bought a pair of brown ones at a yard sale before I left Keyser.
Well, off to organize my wardrobe! Stay tuned, world!

Critter Corbin rides again! Kinda...

A couple weeks ago, we got a new pet…kinda…
We had been finishing up rearranging the living room and bedroom, so we had just gotten everything situated where we wanted it. After finishing that up, we got ready to leave to go to BJ’s mom and dad’s house, and prior to leaving, BJ was checking his pockets and whatnot to make sure he had everything he needed. The door was standing open, and I was behind him and to one side, waiting. I happened to notice something move around our feet, so I glanced down and leaned to kick what I thought was the cable wire back out the door.
I stopped mid kick and all I could get out was “Uh…uh…uh….SNAKE!”
That’s right, a little baby garter snake had squirmed his way into the house, and was rapidly disappearing under the door, heading for the corner under the TV stand (which is where we keep Addison’s toybox). BJ, who is terrified of most snakes, did a hopstep away from the door and looked down saying “What what?!” I pointed to where the tail was slithering away, and he slammed the door closed, which kicked the squirmy little guy into warp speed, which isn’t very fast to a snake his size, and he promptly slipped under a tote full of Legos.
We stood there for a second, trying to take in the fact that we had a “pet” in the house, more specifically that we had something alive in the house other than us, and that we didn't invite it in! After we got our brains around it, we went to work trying to get him back OUT of the house, where he belongs.
You all know me and snakes: I love ‘em. BJ, however, HATES them. But, since this was a micro snake with no chance of killing him, he set out to get him out from where he was. BJ opened the door, and as he was lifting the million-pound box of Legos, I reached down to shoo him back toward the door and the outside world. Well, Old Smooth had other plans.
As soon as the box cleared his back, he went for the corner where all the cables and wires are tucked from the TV and everything. While BJ and I cussed the slithery little shit, we got down on all fours and started tugging at what we hoped were cords (because garter snakes are miraculously the same color as power cords and cables, especially in a poorly lit corner of a floor…), and finally found him hiding behind the power strip. This was about the time Old Smooth became ten-foot tall and bulletproof.
Once BJ tracked him to the wall, he shot into the corner in a small pile, reared up and looked at BJ as if to say “BRING IT!” I couldn't help but laugh, and BJ just kinda stared for a second and said “Oh, you arrogant little shit!” then resumed trying to coax him out of the corner.
Meanwhile, I’m on the phone with BJ’s mom, who had called in the middle of the snake-wrangle, and she’s cracking up at my play-by-play of BJ versus Old Smooth. BJ is alternating cussing and coaxing the snake, who is staring at BJ’s hand like a brave Chihuahua looks at a Great Dane – part of him was thinking “BITCH I WILL TAKE YOU APART!” and another part of him was screaming “DON’T SQUASH ME!”
Finally, just as I get off the phone with Sue, Old Smooth decides to cooperate. He started scooting along the wall ahead of BJ’s hand, and we were both so relieved that his stay with us would be short.
So on he slinks, toward the open door, when all of a sudden, he reroutes, and where does he go? Under the footplate of the front door! Whoever built/repaired this house has an asskicking coming from me to them, because we are livin’ so ghetto-tastic, it’s pitiable, and one of those qualities is that the footplate protrudes away from the doorstep, into the house, and is completely uncapped on both sides (at least, it was…but I’ll get to that in a minute…).
So BJ and I just stop and look at each other, stunned that Old Smooth has such an attitude for a harmless baby garter snake, and BJ gets an idea. He grabs a bottle of Mean Green Glass Cleaner with vinegar, sets it to stream and aims it for the side of the hole that Old Smooth disappeared into. He’s gonna squirt the little bugger outta there! Okay, fine, as long as we can have the house back to ourselves, I’m down with that…so I station myself at the other end of the footplate and wait to grab the little brat by the head. BJ fires off at least a quarter of the bottle into the hole…and no snake comes out the other side. All the excess glass cleaner seeped out from under the poorly-placed footplate, but no snake.
So, what’s the next logical course of action? Yank the footplate up and get the little guy outta there! BJ grabs the screwgun and goes to work on the screws, while I’m watching either side of the footplate to see if Old Smooth wants to try to make a quick escape on his own. No dice, for either hope. No sign of the snake, and as it turns out, they must have jackhammered one of those screws (the last one BJ got to, I might add…) into the footplate, because the bit was starting to strip out from trying to loosen the damn thing!
By this time, we’ve had it. Apparently, Old Smooth has balls, so he gets to stay…on OUR terms.
I grabbed three beer caps and handed them to BJ, who bent them (one in half, and the other two bent around each other) and grabbed a hammer to tap them into the holes of the footplate, thereby blocking all possible escape for Old Smooth. Even with all the commotion of tapping the caps into one side, it wasn’t enough to startle him out of there.
So we have a probably-dead snake under our footplate…in all fairness, he had plenty of chances to leave. He chose to stay, and we're pretty sure it cost him his scaly little life, which I admit to feeling bad about potentially taking. But, hey - he was on OUR turf, he can play by OUR rules, and our rules state “NO OUTSIDE CRITTERS UNINVITED IN THE HOUSE”.
All jokes aside (kinda)…no more critters for this Corbin!!

Alive and kicking...and writing to prove it!

Well, hi there, world! See, told you I was alive down here! This post is just to let my family and friends know that I'm alive and well, and that I'll be writing fairly regularly on here from now on. I decided to start using this so that my aunts can keep up with what's new and exciting (or possibly new and boring...) with me. Hopefully, my mom can keep track of this one, too, since MySpace gives her fits when she tries to load mine. So, here I am, writing for the world to see and for my family to feel a bit more at ease, knowing that I'm well. Stay tuned for more written adventures to come!