As of today, I have ceased to be the only woman in America who hasn't read Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code." I read half the book before going on an actual date with my husband on Friday night out to dinner and then to see the film. One of the student workers in the office confirmed for me that she felt that the book was better than the movie. Ultimately, I have concluded both the book and the movie have their individual strong points:

The Book: is more descriptive, contains more subplots and explanation of the events of the plot, filled in the missing gaps with the individual motivations of certain characters. And the book better explains one event, a sex ritual that explains a bit of the story.

The Movie: gives the viewer a better sense of the events of the past, what it "looked like" when historical events were taking place, paints a more vibrant picture. While Dan Brown's story is good, he's really not a phenomenal writer.

Considering the plot includes a race from Paris to the French countryside to London to Scotland, its worth seeing the film as it shows you the places and landmarks in the story.

Overall, seeing the movie was a good date night for me and Keith--this being his thing---gnostic gospels, Rosicrucian mythology, and early fringe religious groups. It also left me feeling that my own religious beliefs against fasting and corporal mortification are well founded. I also cannot believe that a Church is the sole passageway in which one finds salvation. This has pretty much confirmed for me my Protestant leanings. I also understood and felt for the concept that the world could use a little more feminine energy...the story made me think of my own feminine energy and the power women really hold, even though frequently they fail to realize it.

Anyway. If you haven't read it, read it. If you haven't seen the film, see it. And it really doesn't matter what order either.

Its time for another fantastic update in the fabulous life of Alyssa & Keith Gibbs!

This week was not particularly eventful until this past Friday when several events occured of note:

a) I had a 1-1:30 pm job interview over the phone with Northeastern University that went very, very, very well. So well in fact that the interviewer did not get though her questions (and had to go as she had only budged a half hour of time) but instantly asked me to campus for an interview. She stated she wouldn't normally do that (she still has other phone interviews) but she "didn't want to see me get away." So awesome! Then the afternoon continued....

b) The realtor came by to show us apartments. Rather, one apartment. That wasn't so great. He then really spent a lot of time trying to convince us to stay put....being that we put so much effort into our apartment and were so late to the game, we were going to have an imposssible time finding a) an apartment this size, and b) anything not garden or basement level. It didn't make sense to take a smaller place and pay for storage and lack the use of our stuff, or trade for a more unsecure premises. The place we saw down the street lacked as much, if not more with security (with a hollow front door and loose doorknob).

c) I came home and Keith went to pick up a few Blockbuster films while I panicked on how to approach our landlord on how to let us come back after all we've been through and Keith and I breaking our renewal. Meanwhile, the first interested people in our apartment came by to look....the first in a month since we broke our renewal! This sent us into a panic. Yikes!

d) James the Realtor called us 15 minutes after event (c) about a place that opened up unexpectedly and fit our bill. He took us there. We loved it. We even got half the fee paid by the landlord and he agreed to let us paint the walls in a non "landlord white" color. But then I obsessed over completing an application and writing a check after seeing only 2 apartments (we probably looked at close to 30 when we decided on this place in April/May 2004)...plus coming up with a first, last, security deposit, and fee. Plus moving expenses. Plus an extra month's rent as we have the place starting August 1st. But we filled out the application and provided a check. Having not signed the lease officially, we can back out, but still....

e) We called George and spoke to him. He seemed surprised that we would consider staying, but made it clear that he wanted his asking price $1650 or something close to it. Our new apartment is $1600 and very secure (the third floor of a house with three doors, two locked interiors to get to our apartment). We have to pay for the electric heat during the winter, but that's probably about $25 a month. The parking is improved. All in all we are only "out" the fee and moving costs. Plus we might be able to rent to own. After talking with George we decided to simply move on. If we had been offered $1520 (as in the original terms) or even $1550, we might have stayed. But the die is cast.

Saturday dawned. It was pretty uneventful. Mostly straightening up---groups three and four came to see the apartment. Keith didn't get to go visit the pawn shops because he miscommunicated with the detective handling our case. They will go this week to look at items. I went to work at 4:30 pm and worked until 9:15 pm. Got a lot done.

I'm not sure what to do with myself tomorrow. Keith has been particularly excited with me this week because I bought a GameCube with some graduation money (yes, a very un-Alyssa like decision) but its worth it with the doting I've received from Keith this week. I've never seen a man so excited about a purchase. Now with what we are facing in extra expenses, I'm sort of regretting that decision, but, I think we'll be fine.

Most likely I'll work on some genealogy stuff tomorrow, visit the office, and prepare for my OTHER interview Monday. I'm interviewing for a College Officer position too!

Hey everyone. Life, for Alyssa and I, has been ever hectic in the last few weeks... with me working extra hours, Alyssa applying for jobs, etc. 

I do want to post a quick little entry about my new toy - Richard (by boss) bought myself and Jon 17" Macbook Pros. They are very very nice. I called up my friends (who are geeks) and my dad (who is also a geek) to let them know. I love it. 

Other than that, Alyssa and I have been busy all weekend, albeit on Friday we went out with two friends of ours to Polcari's (a fantastic italian resturant on the North Shore... there are several, but we went to on the one on Route 1). We then went to this huge movie theater in Revere and watched "Cars." It was really great - pure Pixar genius. I am not (if you don't already know this) the Nascar type, but this movie was cute, well done, and full of really fun detail. The animated short before the film was also really cool.

Yesterday, errands, cleaning, etc. Today we were supposed to be out with a real estate guy, but that didn't happen (it was kind of short notice to get a nice bunch of places available to see, so we are doing it tomorrow evening). We made the house really nice and I put in some hours at work. I have also been on and off putting Boot Camp on the Mac (so now it is a dual boot of Mac OS and Windows XP).

Right now, Alyssa and I are stilling on the couch, typing away and working at our laptops and kind-of-sort-of listening to the Harry Potter film (Chamber of Secrets in this case) that is playing on the TV.

p.s. Besides using the new laptop, I am also posting via a really great Blogger widget for Mac OS Tiger. Google for it. It seems pretty cool thusfar.

With life being the endless to-do list that it is, I hope to have something at least mildly more interesting to blog about in the future rather than the events of the past few weeks. Yes, they have been eventful--and unfortunately, a bit on the unfortunate end of things rather than joyful news.

Regarding the recovery of stolen items, Keith visited the Boston PD department last week and zeroed on a few items that could possibly be ours. This guy apparently also unloaded quite a haul on two different days, so, that in of itself is a little suspicious. Next weekend the detective will go with Keith to the shop to look over the items. It was supposed to happen this weekend, but the detective forgot about a workshop that is mandatory. Naturally we work during the week too.

Regarding my job search, unfortunately I didn't get called back to a face-to-face interview at BU. I'm not really upset about it, actually I was a little relieved when I finally found out the news Monday because not knowing what was up 5 days after I was supposed to hear back was really getting to me. I understand people hiring people are busy people, but an update would have been fine--or just to merely come out with the bad news. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen and all that jazz. Sunday, because I felt bad news was on the horizon, I worked at applying to positions all over Boston. I don't have time to get outraged that of 8 months applying for transfers at this place that not one has found me (or a co-worker of mine) suitable to take any of them and I've applied to about a dozen positions. Frankly, many of my friends are outraged and incredulous enough for me, so I really don't need to be. Frequently the positions I have applied for I have been definitely overqualified for. So I am, like my co-worker, giving up on staying here. They don't do a good job promoting within. That'll work to another school's advantage eventually.

The reason why they didn't call me back, you ask? Well, the assistant director pointed out what I have long suspected would be my one Achilles heel--no live-in residence life experience. That's probably the most depressing part. I can't go back and be an RA (Why wasn't I an RA? I was thinking of transferring spring my first year--so I didn't apply, was turned down spring my sophomore year, was abroad spring of my junior year, and of course, was preparing to leave college spring of my senior year....) and I was never a full-time graduate student with the luxury to be able to take a live-in position. I can't go back and change that. I was assured by colleagues in ORL that that wouldn't be as big a factor as I was worried about. I guess they were wrong. So how does one get this kind of experience?

Keith's worklife has been pretty satisfying. He is all but hired, just waiting for the July 1, 2006 date. His boss just gave him a top of the line Macintosh. I'll let Keith tell you all about it (as opposed to talking my ear off about it) during his next blog.

The new additions to the to-do list is to go apartment-hunting....which is usually always fun, but exhausting. I think we'll ultimately stay in Boston at least one more year. Some people might know that it has been discussed (with Nothing Been Defintely Decided, family who may be reading this--you know who you are) that we should consider a move back to the motherland (Pennsylvania). Again, Keith and I are approaching this, very, very carefully. We know that once we leave Boston, we're bound probably not to come back...once we get used to living less expensively and perhaps have a family. So its important to make the right decision. Besides, the 12 hour drive north with a UHaul is not an experience I wish to repeat again any time soon.