I knew July was going to be trouble.

First and foremost, our court date was yesterday.  We ended up settling the case so I never actually stood before the judge (which is good because I was too damn stressed over everything and I am not sure how well I would have handled it).  Our ex-landlords ended up giving us $500 more which is great.  We didn’t get everything we asked for but oh well, it was fine with me.  They realized they couldn’t argue us with our pictures but there was also a chance that if we continued with the case, they would attempt to countersue us.  I really didn’t want to go through that hell so oh well.  It’s over with, it’s done, the end.

Wednesday afternoon I was at work and got some pretty shitty news.  My job, along with like 20 others, was terminated.  I was in that position for four years.  We got a new CEO not too long ago and he went on a job cutting spree and got rid of most of the people in the same job field as me as well as some directors.  Since I’m not being fired, I have four months to find another job.  During these four months I am still getting paid, still get my full benefits, etc.  So it’s like a four month paid vacation.  Now, while some people would be thrilled to have a four month paid vacation, I’m not.  Not in the least.  I just got accepted into UNC and now I have to find another job that will work around my school schedule.  That is going to be the hardest thing to negotiate with any new job I find.  I’m also not going to find another job making what I’m making now.  No way in hell.  I had it made in this position and now it’s gone.  :(

I applied for another job at the same company today so we’ll see how that goes.  It’s not as awesome as my last position but it’s something.  That way I can keep my same benefits and everything.  AND keep my tution reimbursement.

On top of all this, it seems like every single bill I have is due right now.  Just way too stressed.

Fuck July.  Fuck it.

Start date:  August 25th

Oh, life.

I’ve been busier than hell lately trying to get registered for the fall semester of college.  This is what I get for waiting last minute.  I don’t even know if the classes I need are going to be available or not.  With my luck, everything will already be full.

I got my award letter yesterday informing me the amount in loans I’ve been awarded.  When you take The Colorado College Opportunity Fund into consideration, I really won’t be paying as much as I thought.  However, I’ve never taken out loans for school before (I’ve always paid for it out of pocket) so I didn’t really know how much of the loans to accept.  So… I accepted all of it.  *smirks*  Is that wrong?  I’ve really been getting better at managing my money.  No, seriously, I really have.  So I decided if everything goes right and I get accepted in all the classes I need to be in, those left over loans will go into my savings.  My savings has become my little treasure.  I rarely touch it and I think those funds would remain relatively safe in there.  I’ll use what I have to and then pay off the rest of the loans A.S.A.P.  I also get tuition reimbursement from my work.  The only thing I am really worried about are the cost of books.  Ooh, don’t get me started on goddamn books, seriously.  You wanna talk about a rip-off!  Those things cost what… $5 to make and put together and yet we pay $300 for one biology book, $200 for a Calc II book!  Ri.dic.u.lous.

Last night I spent about 4 hours or so browsing the student website for my college.  I logged into the registration area, set up my email, etc. etc.  When you log in, the welcome screen has Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day listed.  Yesterday’s word was indigent which means extremely poor.  HA!  What made it even more humorous is the fact that it was listed right above the links to my financial aid loans.  Yep, totally taking that as a sign.  A sign that I will be in debt to colleges from this day forward probably for the rest of my life.  It’ll be worth it though… right?  RIGHT?!  Someone please comfort me and remind me that a higher education in this day of age is worth something!

Even though I just said I really am doing better at managing my money, I can’t stop with the MAC!  My list is growing and I love every piece of makeup that company has to offer.  But I’m done buying it for a while.  I really am.  It’s such an expensive addiction but damn-it-all-to-hell, I’m getting mighty good at eyeshadow application and I can pull off some really neat looks now!  I never thought I would be so in love with such bright colors (I still think my favorite MAC eyeshadow is Parrot - I use it all the time).  But sorry, MAC - I’ve got to start worrying about school again so I have to put you on hold for a bit.  That doesn’t mean I can’t work on some wicked makeup tricks, though.  I need to take swatch pictures of all the colors I have and upload them.  It’ll take a while but it’s something I really want to do.  They’re just too damn pretty!

In other news, I meet with my lawyer tonight regarding my small claims case.  At $100 an hour, you better believe I’m gonna be talking fast and rushing her because this whole thing is getting obsurd (well past that point, actually).  My ex-landlords hired an attorney and he’ll be representing them in court, as far as I know.  They’re running out of time to file a Notice of Representation so they better hurry their asses up!  It has to be done at least 7 days before the dreaded court date (July 10th).  But yeah, I’m seeking legal advice just to get some information and make sure I am doing everything correctly, more or less.  The woman I’m meeting with is going to call their lawyer as well and let him know that I’ve come to her and that she will be representing me if this is the path they choose to take.  I am hoping that once the landlords see I am not joking around and am willing to hire a lawyer just like them, they’ll decide to settle and stop being greedy scumbags.  I have a feeling they hired this attorney just to call and scare me into settling for less and there is no way that is going to happen.  Joel and I have put too much of our own money and time into this crap so far and I’m going through with it, period.  So everyone please cross your fingers for me and I’ll let you all know what the lawyer says tonight after I talk to her.

So far 2008 has really sucked some major ass for me.  Old, crusty, sour ass for that matter.  I’ve been nothing but stressed and tired 24/7 and my hatred for the human race grows more and more every single day.  July will probably be my worst month; there’s just too much to get done and put up with.

Right now I can honestly say “fuck my life” and mean it.  Hopefully that will change soon.

Yo, I got tagged! Guess I must answer six and tag six so here you go - Liz, Leslie, Markelle, Kalen, and Crystal.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Holy shit, such a long time ago! I would have been in junior high, I think. Or just entering high school. So I still would have been in cheerleading and/or volleyball and all that fun stuff. I was still enjoying summer time and spring breaks and late night trips to McDonald’s and Taco Bell. Such a simple life back then.

2. What are five things on my to-do list today?
    - Do my yearly evaluation here at work. I’m a little nervous about what my boss will say but the time has come and it has to get done.
    - Get my damn transcripts together from my previous colleges.
    - Deposit the extra cash I have in my purse in my bank before I head home.
    - Mow the lawn (if it doesn’t rain).
    - Eat sushi with friends for dinner.

3. Snacks I enjoy:
Those oatmeal cream cookies I can never stop buying at Wal-Mart, homemade chocolate chip cookies (I have to make them or else they don’t taste right to me), mini pizza rolls, cheese, and tuna!

4. Places I’ve lived:
    - Greeley, CO - Where I’ve spent most of my life. Finished junior high and high school here and most of my friends are still in the area. Planning on finishing up my college here as well and then off to Denver I’ll go for four years.
    - Brea, CA - This was for less than a year while I attended FJC with my sister. It didn’t last long, though. I missed my friends in CO so I ended up moving back.
    - Cypress, TX - Lived there with my brother for a bit after high school. This is in the Houston area and I really do miss Houston & Texas in general. Will probably end up moving there permanently later on in life.
    - Starks, LA - I was very young when I lived in this small town but I remember it well because most of my mom’s side of the family lived there too, including my grandma. Most of the summers during my childhood were spent there.
    - Other various cities in Texas - I moved around a lot when I was younger and there are many other towns in Texas I lived in but do not really remember.

5. Things I’d do if I were a billionaire:
Of course I’d pay off any outstanding debt for me, my family, my boyfriend, and his family. Then, I’d get school squared away so I’d never have to worry about paying for it again. Then I’d probably help out a few friends who really deserve it and pay for their education as well. And lastly, before school started, I’d take my boyfriend on a very expensive vacation, where ever he wanted to go. Oh, and I’d most definitely hire a nice array of attorneys and financial advisors and make sure that money would stay protected.

6. People I want to know more about:
The ones who are so comfortable in their own skin that nothing bothers them.

So I mentioned that Joel and I made the decision to take our ex-landlords to small claims court due to the fact that they’re trying to keep the majority of my deposit ($1,200 out of $1,500) for bogus reasons.  They claimed they had to repaint the entire apartment because the walls were black from smoke residue (Joel and I have never smoked in our entire lives).  They’re saying they had to spend 36 (thirty-fucking-six) additional hours cleaning the place because we left it completely trashed.  They’re also trying to keep money for normal wear and tear issues (we’re talking small, stupid crap) even though the law prohibits them from doing so.

Here are 111 pictures Joel and I took on our last day in the apartment.  Yep, that’s right.  One hundred eleven photos of everything inside that damn place.  Please flip through them and tell me if you honestly think that place looks trashed or if the walls look too black or if you see anything wrong whatsoever!

The couple of shots in there with the “smudge” in the tub is a so-called chip that she is charging us $85 to fix.  To be completely honest with you, I thought it was a smooshed fly or bug but according to them, and I quote, it’s “a large chip in the tub in which a huge section of the tub must be replaced.”

I’m agreeing to pay for the things I deserve to get charged for.  I did spill some bleach on the carpet upstairs near the laundry area when I was washing clothes once and I am totally at fault for that.  I did accidentally stain the linoleum in the upstairs bathroom because I got the bathroom rug wet and the dyes stained it yellow (there’s a picture of that in there too).  I am owning up to what I ruined on accident and I am not fighting that.  But for this woman to come back to me with an itemized bill a mile long and say that the place was literally a hell hole; trashed beyond belief is ridiculous!  She also threatened me once and said if I take her to court, she would write up a new itemized bill and we’d end up owing her money (because the place was just that bad).  *rolls eyes*

So we’re going to court July 10th and I cannot wait to see the look on her face when I present these pictures to the judge.  I have the right to sue for up to three times the amount I believe I’m owed but I’m not going to do that.  I want the judge to know I only want what is rightfully mine - that I’m not there just to make some extra money.  Hopefully the judge will take a look at my pictures, laugh at the landlord, and tell me that I’m in the right and deserve most of my money back.

Take a look at those pictures and tell me what you think, honestly.  And someone please tell me you’d do the exact same thing if you were getting screwed over this bad.