Lately

A lot has happened since my last catch-up post over a year ago, so I think another might be in order. Mainly, there are three big things that happened that I want to talk about. Let’s break it down.

ONE

I got a new job! Or, technically, a promotion at my current company. As of June, I now work in the Employee Development department of my credit union as a Learning & Development Trainer. I’m part of the team that trains all incoming employees of the credit union, as well as internal trainings for branch employees.

Over the course of three months, I applied for the position twice, shadowed the department once, interviewed a total of six times—and was denied twice. But then a trainer moved to another department and I was asked to take their place! Third time’s the charm, as they say. It’s a position that I’ve wanted to be in since I started with the credit union five (five!) years ago, and I’ve really enjoyed the last few months of new challenges and growth. (Also, you should open up an account with your local credit union! Talk to me about why credit unions are better than banks, if you don’t know.)

TWO

We moved! In July, we said goodbye to our wonderful rent house in South Austin, which was bittersweet. I loved that house and was sad to leave it, and sad not to be Melany’s roommate anymore. We lived together for nearly five years, and I miss getting to talk to her every day.

But! It was also exciting for both of us. Dylan and I moved into our own apartment in a neighborhood we really love, and Melany and her boyfriend moved in together not too far from us. It was already fun living with Dylan before, but getting to create a space that’s wholly ours and develop routines and traditions together has been so lovely.

THREE

KaCee and Kyle moved back from Portland! And they got married! And both got jobs at my credit union! They made the trek back to Texas in October (and moved into an apartment literally down the street from mine and Dylan’s), and their wedding was at the beginning of November. Melany, KaCee, and I also got best friend tattoos (which we’re showing off in the photo below) because we’re cute as hell.

Photo by Maggie Grace Photography

There’s been so much more that’s happened over the last year, which I maybe will post about (but also maybe probably not, given my track record). I love going through my social media, pictures, and my journal at the end of the year and making a big list of everything that’s happened, so let’s see if I can actually get that list in a somewhat digestible format in the next week.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas Eve! I hope you’re wearing a ridiculous sweater and eating your weight in sugar cookies right now.

-Maggie

Lately

As much as I like to label myself as a "blogger" on every social media profile I have, I am really bad at it. Truly awful! And I'm not sure there was a time I was ever good at it—but then again, the definition of what makes a "good" blogger is relative. It's all relative!

So here I am again, after months away, just to say a quick hello and give an update to the one or two people that might read this blog and not actually know me in "real life." (Hello, imaginary people!)

At the end of March, while randomly scrolling through a local shelter's adoption page, I found the saddest dog I had ever seen in my life and thought, I must have her. I brought her home a few days after my birthday and named her Edie.

She is scared of most things, but seems to be scared of less things as time goes on. She is always cold, so she really loves blankets and wearing sweaters and sitting in the sun. She is pretty much always asleep, and she would probably never get out of bed as long as I was there too. She is the sweetest puppy in the world! I love her so much!

Our BFFs KaCee and Kyle (and Gretel) moved to Portland in July. We threw a goodbye party for them the night before they left, which was fun until I started crying towards the end, which made Melany and KaCee start crying too. (To clarify, this was not the first time we'd cried.) We went for one last breakfast at Snooze the next morning where we cried some more and attempted to smother our feelings with pancakes.

The four of us had so much fun living together and we were so sad they were moving out, but we were excited for them too. And it was also exciting because Dylan moved into their room.

Speaking of Dylan, we have been dating for nearly a year (our anniversary is on Sunday!), which is crazy and exciting and a lot of other feelings. He is so silly, sweet, and thoughtful, and I feel very, very lucky to have him in my life. Living with him (and Melany) has been so much fun, and I'm really looking forward to the next year.

There are few more things that I missed blogging about within the last year (namely my trip to San Francisco and my birthday weekend), as well as a few things sitting half-finished in my drafts, that I might go back and post. (They're months old, but who cares! It's my life and it's now or never, you know?) We'll see—but for now, that's all I've got.

-Maggie

Lately

● Spring is in full force here in Texas. I can never decide if I like spring or not. On the one hand, there are wildflowers on the sides of the highway, warm breezes, and sundresses. On the other hand, there's a fine layer of yellow covering every outside surface and you haven't stopped sneezing for three weeks.

● I had my first battle with Austin allergies a couple of weeks ago, which morphed into what the doctor at the clinic called a "little bronchitis" that took forever to get rid of.

● The first weekend of April I flew to Lubbock for Denny's surprise 80th birthday party.

● While there, my uncle made me a special cup of tea that was probably mostly whiskey to help me get rid of aforementioned cough. I drank it out of Denny's quilting mug (see above).

● I turned 23 last Thursday and was pleased to find that blink-182 lied to me. People do like you when you're 23.

● I had to work all day on my birthday, but my family had flowers delivered to my work and a coworker gave me her personal copy of one of her favorite books, so it wasn't too bad.

● On Sunday, Melany, Britny, and I went to South Congress Cafe for a belated birthday lunch and really great mojitos. After that, Britny and I spent four hours talking at a coffee shop and getting absolutely no work done.

● Monday night I went to BookPeople to interview for a little part-time job, and was pleasantly surprised to find David Levithan, Ally Carter, and Justine Larbalestier upstairs.

● I got that little part-time job, so now every Thursday and Sunday night will be spent working author events. I am stupidly excited about this.

● Just in the next few weeks, I will meet the winner of the 1979 Nobel Prize in physics, the writer of DCOM Pixel Perfect, and Glenn Close's sister.

How's your life lately?

-Maggie

Lately

I've lived in Austin for over a month now. There are still empty boxes stacked on our balcony and Melany still hasn't unpacked her room, but our Christmas tree has been up since the third week of November. That's all that really matters anyway.

I started my new job as a teller at a credit union right after I got to Austin, and when I say "right after," I mean I moved on a Friday and started training Monday. So yeah, there wasn't a lot of time for settling in, but it's turned out all right so far. At times I get very frustrated with the learning curve, but this would be the case at any new job. Luckily, my coworkers have been nothing but helpful and patient. Also, we have trivia every Friday morning, and I totally kicked ass last time. (That's what they get for having Harry Potter trivia.)

Lately, I have become very aware of how I spend my time. This probably has something to do with having a full-time job for the first time, which means a set schedule and less free time. In the short time that Melany and I have lived together, we have already managed to fall into a weekday routine. After work, we make dinner, sit in our pink chairs, and watch a few episodes of whatever show we're watching (right now, it's Psych). Sometimes we play cards or work on our computers, but that's usually about it.

There's not anything particularly wrong with this. In fact, I really enjoy it and could happily continue with this routine. It's such a nice way to wind down after work. But the thing is I don't want to wait for Fridays. I don't want to be someone who is living for the weekend, you know? It's so easy to get stuck, and I don't want to get too comfortable. I don't want to become content.

So I'm doing my best to live deliberately and all that. There are so many things I want to do and so many things before me. I'm living in a wonderful city with my wonderful friends, and I hope I never get used to that.

-Maggie

Lately

Lately, things have been feeling weird.

My spring break was hectic and, for the most part, terrible. Between work, getting sick, and the four assignments I had due the first day back to school, it was nothing like a break. The good news is Mary took my pictures for my grad announcements/blog, and I finally got to meet her daughter, Whimsy. Other than that, it was an incredibly stressful week, in which I cried, like, four times.

Things have slowed down since then, which is unnerving in a "calm before the storm" kind of way. I only have five weeks of school left, and a slew of papers to write and tests to take in that time. I've been doing relatively well this semester, but I'm terrified something random and awful is going to happen that will again prevent me from graduating. I've been pushing that thought from my mind all semester, but the closer I get to the end, the harder it is to keep out.

I've been missing Austin more than ever recently. I think it's the fact that school–what has been keeping me in Lubbock this whole time–will finally be over. After that, it's just a few months of saving money, and then it will finally be time. I'm so excited.

I hope you're all doing well. To those still in school, like me, we're almost there! Keep on keeping on.

-Maggie

Lately

● We still don't have WiFi, and I feel my grip on reality slowly slipping.

● I'm still not finished unpacking because I still do not have all of my furniture.

● Our neighbor is crazy. She rings our doorbell at eight in the morning just to chat. She walks around the neighborhood in her robe with her chihuahua. She goes back and forth from her house to her car, slamming doors over and over for no apparent reason. She turns her car on, opens all the doors, and blasts gospel and soft rock music in middle of the day and sometimes at two in the morning.

● Naturally, my bedroom is closest to her driveway.

● I was tired of people telling me my hair was brown (even though it most likely had crossed from dark blonde to light brown), so I dyed it very blonde so people could not make that mistake again.

● The next person who makes a blonde joke is getting sucker punched right in the gut.

● No one, including my professor, knows exactly what one does in Senior Seminar. In spite of this, my professor manages to fill the entire three hour block with inane ramblings.

● As far as I have found, English Literature majors are the only ones that have to take a seminar class.

● My Age of Chivalry professor is incredibly handsome. Like Joseph Gordon-Levitt with a beard.

● I'm taking a class on Jane Austen & Ethics, and am thoroughly enjoying it even though the Daisy Buchanan Girl from last semester is taking it as well.

● I suppose I should explain Daisy Buchanan Girl. She speaks very softly. She doesn't mumble, no. She speaks clearly, but just very, very quietly, and I think she does it on purpose. This reminds me of Daisy Buchanan, and it is for this reason that I hate this girl. Is it irrational? Yes. Do I care? No.

● (I refer to this quote: "I've heard it said that Daisy's murmur was only to make people lean toward her...")

● Last week, in less than a twenty-four hour period: The toilet overflowed. I broke one of the wine glasses I bought in Seattle. I dropped a bottle of Pam and broke the nozzle, rendering it completely useless. I forgot I was baking cookies, which resulted in a smoky kitchen.

● When lamenting these misfortunes to my friends, Britny said, "Maybe this means something awesome is going to happen soon." Here's hoping.

-Maggie