Weekly Wrapup: visitors, work week, and the end of potatoism

So my parents came to visit last weekend, and brought Heather and Josh. It was fun, having people here. And nice having a 4 day week. We saw Hancock which is better than expected and highly recommended. I was kinda bored of all the superhero crap going on but this one is actually pretty interesting. And saw some pretty great fireworks. Its nice that the area here has alot of middle of nowhere right next to somewhere, you turn off the main road and you're between swamp and farmland. So there wasnt light pollution which is nice. Also got to eat out at a bunch of different restaurants. And we drove down to the huuuge Galleria mall which was like Millenia only bigger. Theres an ice skating rink IN the mall for goodness sakes.

The week was kinda normal... went to some meetings, read alot of training manual stuff, watched some training videos. Every week the thermal group goes out to eat. Last night we went to a tapas restaurant across the street from my apartment. I'm starting to feel more comfortable, hanging out with coworkers and stuff. Theres a couple of us new people, I'm the only power one, theyre all life support so I wont see them much once the training classes start, but they're nice and I guess not working every day with them would make it more fun to hang out outside work. Tonight Nicole and I are going to see Made of Honor in the dollar theater. I have already seen it and its not exactly an amazing movie, but its not like I have anything better to do and it is the dollar theater. So it should be fun. I'm happy to actually have somewhere to go. I hope she doesn't somehow come across this and think I'm crazy and desperate... but I kinda am desperate to find friends. Its lonely living here not knowing everyone. And I think all of us from out of state are in the same kind of situation.
The one cool thing this week at work was the EVA on Thursday. And it was cool cuz we went to mission control for a bit and watched the streaming video from the ISS. I geeked out a little about how cool it is that at my job I can just go hang out and watch mission control. So, yeah, I was happy and felt cool.

Other important thing... I started running again. Its been over 6 months since I ran. I actually remember the day I last ran, I was still at UCF working in the dorm after the end of the semester, cuz the fall semester ended on a monday and then I had the following weekend duty. And I remember texting a couple people to tell them I was leaving my phone home. And I ran for 25 minutes straight that day which was the longest sustained run I've ever done. So, yeah then I went home and things started to pick up with Rami and then it became my last semester and there was all kinds of stuff to do-- school, work, job searching, and hanging out with the people that I figured I would have to leave when I graduated. Which is indeed what happened since I live in Texas now, and alot of other friends I graduated with are spread out around the country. And then packing, unpacking, settling in. And it was just time to make excuses. So wednesday I went out for the first time in a really long time and I sucked, and I didn't get very far and it felt just like the first time almost 2 years ago when I decided it was time to be a runner. And oh, the next day, I could barely walk. OUCH! So today I woke up at 9, couldnt sleep anymore, and grabbed some breakfast then went for a run. I'm going back to couch to 5k. So anyone else who's interested in some accountability that wants to join me?

My ultimate plan is to be back in those size 8 express jeans because they're nice enough to wear to work but now they're too snug. And because after Rami comes next weekend, the next time I have plans to see anyone is Labor Day weekend, when I'm coming to Orlando and then I'll be seeing EVERYONE (my parents, all my friends who still go to UCF, and Rami) so I want to be in better shape by then. Its enough time to get through the first 8 weeks (of 9) of the program. Anyways, yeah, thats the plan. And thats the scoop. Gonna go find some food. Love you guys! :-)

3 Weeks in...

So I have officially survived 3 weeks in my job. And there was nowhere near the trauma involved in my first week of RA training where I overslept, tore my pants, and ruined one of my favorite shirts. For the first week there was alot of administrative stuff... a generic company training about time cards and IT security and stuff on the first day, and the day to go fill out the stuff for our security clearance check. Then week 2 was something called training academy, for new people in the Mission Operations Directorate (how cool is it that I'm part of a "directorate"? sounds so official!) So the good thing about that is that I met some other new people and we went on some tours and listened to some overview stuff. And week three was basically just reading. Our official training, the stuff that makes us ready to be flight controllers, isnt until September so until then I am basically sitting at my desk reading the manuals for the systems I'm gonna be working with. Its not particularly exciting but I am learning stuff. The dizzying tech drawings are getting a little clear which is kinda exciting.
And I'm sitting on MY couch. Like really mine. Its comfy and big and has perfect height armrests to serve as pillows when lying down. And I have already damaged my bed with some ill placed handcuffs. Well worth it. Now that I've gotten all my stuff the place is kinda a mess. I set up my TV and all my peripherals and the built in wall unit for TV stuff actually works really well with my setup. Its getting there. Slowly but getting there. I like my apartment, the space seems about right thought I could go for a few more kitchen cabinets. I want to not move out of this place until Rami graduates and moves out here, though we'll see what hurricane season brings because I am in the second evacuation zone of 4 and they did get evacuated for Rita in 05 (we just got the hurricane safety briefing at work, the other two people who started on the same day as me were a little freaked out cuz they're from the midwest and theres no hurricanes there). Its way too much of a hassle to evacuate, so if I get evacuated this year, I'll have to look for a place farther inland. But otherwise, it would be so much easier to stay and settle in. In the past 4 years I've lived in 3 different places and moving that much is no fun. It would be nice to stick to a place and get comfortable.
As for life... well I miss Rami terribly. And I miss home and my friends, I'm comfortable here and its starting to look like home but it all feels kinda temporary. Until I really make friends, I'll always feel a little lost and out of place. And my life really is holding, waiting for Rami. If we are going to be together, and I hope and think that we will, then I can't move forward, I can't make plans, I can't get married and have kids and make my whole life... I can't do any of that until he graduates. In 4 years I'll be old. Almost 26, thats like true blue adult. And faced with being a real adult, having a job, owning furniture, paying my electricity bill and my cable bill and my car insurance... thank god I dont have to worry too much about what I can afford. I mean I'm not gonna go crazy and spend everything, but I can't imagine how much energy it consumes calculating every month, every purchase, and counting whether you can make ends meet. At least I know I can afford the important stuff like power... and internet, hehe. I dont know it just feels like I would like my life to start sooner. Like I want to dive right in and wake up next to him every day and go off and be grown up and... I dunno. I don't blame him for being young, its certainly nobody's fault (except UCF's fucked up chem department) that he has to stay there and I have to be here. I don't know... it just sucks to have to wait so long.
And theres so many ways it could go wrong, so many ways we could fall apart along the way. What if I wait all this time for a failure? What if, in the end, its just not right?
Anyways, enough of this. Gotta finish some laundry cuz my family is coming tomorrow and I need the place to be ready for company.