Breaking the Food Chain: Where, Oh Where Could You Be?

   Where indeed. I've actually been going through possibly the worst, most disastrous move in the history of Florida for the past 20ish days. I've had to retell the story about a gazillion times now, and even typed the whole thing out TWICE for complaint reports I had to file...so, I'm not going to get into the ENTIRE thing because it's exhausting EVERY TIME. Basically, I had been pretty much moved out and living at my parents house, but I knew I had to go back to my apartment one more time to get the last of my stuff before the 31st.
   Well, I think I mentioned in an older post that I was having a really hard time adjusting to being back home, pretty miserable time, actually. So, since I had until the 31st on the lease, I decided to just get out of dodge for about 10 days, take my time packing my stuff, relax a little, have time to catch up on some work-related things, and see some friends before moving 5 hours away. Sounds simple enough. When I got there, I found that my roommate had already moved out-despite having told me she would be there until the 30th.
   To my surprise, I also found that she had taken a number of my belongings with her. What belongings? My modem and wireless router were the first things I noticed, as I needed the internet and couldn't get on for some strange reason...oh...my modem and router are gone. My DVD player was also gone, which I had graciously hooked up in the living room instead of my room so that she and her boyfriend could watch movies on the big screen, since she didn't have a DVD player. Interesting...so, I began looking for other things that weren't there. My wireless charger for my Wii Remotes, which her boyfriend had always made comments about being "so cool" and "better than buying batteries," was gone. Also gone was my wireless Wii Remote Sensor that was on top of the TV, which he had also always commented about preferring to his "old one with wires that got in the way." You get the idea. More and more things were missing, all of which I could have taken with me to hook up at my parents place and make my life easier while home-but which I had left JUST for her, so that she could still have wireless internet, watch movies, and play Wii while I was gone.
   What made it even better, was that there weren't just things MISSING. Oh, no-there were also things ADDED. When I had left, I had left maybe a car load of things that needs to be packed...what I returned to was an entire living room and bedroom FULL of crap that I had never seen before. Some of it was useful things...like a completely unopened Foreman grill still in the box, and brand new Crockpot still in the box, and some other random kitchen appliances and new-looking shelving and storage units...but the rest of it was just tons and tons of clothes (ugly ones at that) that weren't my size OR my roommates' size, a ton of maintenance-type things like tools, brooms, mops, nails, crates, and a bunch of broken or really old electronics (printers, ORIGINAL Gameboys, telephones that weren't cordless, etc.)
    It was NUTS. So of course I called the main office and the landlord, thinking maybe the stuff belonged to the new tenant that would be moving in when we left...nope. No one had any idea where the stuff came from. My roommates cell phone number is magically and suddenly disconnected, and she left no forwarding address. I mean...why would she? So now, my expensive and good electronics have been stolen and I am suddenly responsible for removing an entire apartment full of bullshit that isn't mine. The landlord said that it all had to be out, and that since I couldn't prove it wasn't mine, I had to get it all out or face losing my security deposit and additional fees for the apartment complex having to remove it all. So, ya...spent the last 16 days or so making about 3 10-hour drives, and making about 10 trips with FULL carloads to Goodwill, all of which was carried out without any internet access, because my modem and router had been stolen. Awesome.
   Anyway, I finally got everything except a shelving unit and some brooms out by the 31st-which I left in the utility closet as a donation to the next tenants or maintenance staff-whoever wanted it. It was awful, and not the relaxing break from my family I had imagined it would be. But, I am finally back, with internet access, and have replaced most of the items that were taken. Of course, being unemployed at the moment and hunting for a job has left me a little strapped for cash-so thank god for eBay, because I certainly couldn't have payed full retail price to replace that stuff. The Wii shit can wait till I'm working again-not a high priority. But I really needed the wireless router so that I can work on my Macbook and not my parents slow ass PC, so I got a new one of those and set it up yesterday. Pretty much everything I own is in boxes right now, and I'm living like a crazy person.
   Now that that ordeal is behind me, I'm trying to focus on the future and some positives. I had been worried that I would gain weight during the time I was gone, since it meant leaving my 24-hour gym-but as it turned out, all that stress and moving boxes day in and day out left me without much of an appetite, and I managed to get down to 104 again without ever stepping foot in a gym. So that was good. I also had a really great interview with a very good law firm that needs a legal secretary, during the interview I was told by the main Partner that he received over 500 applications, and that he selected only 10 to interview. Out of those 10, only 2 would be called back for a second interview, and obviously one of the two would be given the job. Well, I got called back for a second interview, which will be on August 12th or 13th-depending on his schedule. So, at least I have a 50/50 shot at this.
   During the second interview I think I have to do a typing test-so I'll be brushing up for the next week or two. I mean, my typing skills are fine-more than fine, actually-but I don't want to risk the other person being 10 words per minute faster than me or something and not getting the job because of that. But I'm pretty confident, overall. Just don't want to be overconfident or "put all my eggs in one basket," so to speak-so I'm still sending out resumes to other firms in the area, just in case I don't get this position. I really hope I do though-their pay is very good, plus they have health benefits, and both monthly and year-end bonuses-which really help. OK well it's about 1:45pm now, and I have to run to the library to pick up some Typing Practice CD-Roms and then to the gym before the late afternoon/evening shift starts (I hate the guy that works that shift-try to avoid him, lol). But just so you have an idea of how much STUFF I brought down, in addition to how much I already had...and how small and unequipped my parents' tiny little townhouse is for the volume of belongings I've acquired over the years...I took some pictures. I'll post my regular body and scale shots later tonight when I unpack my camera-but I had already uploaded these from my iPhone, so I thought they were kind of funny/sad.

Formerly the hallway when you first walk in the door to my parents' place

From the other angle.

Formerly part of my parents' den area...note the mystery crock pot that I decided to keep.

The other side of the den

Formerly my parents' living room.

Even took over the small nook behind my dad's recliner

The other corner of the living room.

Behind my parents' couch

My dad's recliner is currently where my bedding is residing. I had a queen size bed at my apartment, but one doesnt fit in my room here, so I'm using a twin and my lovely silk queen sized sheets are chillin on my dad's chair.