A world of translations there, really. Especially considering that on this, the first day of my four-day-weekend, I intend to do a lot of cleaning. I actually vacuumed the other day (when the dogs shredded the bed), so I can probably skip that step. However, since Arizona is the dirtiest place I've ever lived--enough dust here to choke a small country--I may just have to whip it out again. The vacuum cleaner that is.
So, yeah, I am the first recipient of the newly initiated Four Day Weekend. Supposedly this is a new, regular thing to be rotated amongst the supervisors for the rest of eternity. What a cool thing. I hope it does happen again and that I have some forewarning so we can actually plan to do something cool, like pawn the dogs off on someone and skip town. As it is, I plan on the aforementioned cleaning and some gaming. I'm going to try to convice Russell to go on a little hike with me at some point over the weekend, and I would LOVE to go look at some new wheels. The weather is going to turn hot sooner or later and I am going to roast in my truck. Oh, and I think tonight we're going to go see a co-worker of his play some music. Heaven!
I did put together (finally) the CD rack that Bucket tried to eat, and despite missing a few important bits (the kickboard and the top) it's not really too bad. Now I just need to wade through the storage unit to rescue the remainder of the CDs and it will all be good. Actually we just need to empty out the storage unit entirely and save ourselves the $80/month or whatever it is. Perhaps this weekend will be a "clean-out-the-second-bedroom-slash-junk-room" adventure.
I'll keep you posted.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
There are days
The dogs ate one of their beds this morning. Well, it doesn't really look like much was ingested, so I suppose it's more truthful to say that they shredded one of their beds. It's been a long time coming--bits and bits and bits have been pulled and we shout "NO" and they stop until they think we've forgotten about it. This morning they went for broke and I awoke to find a loft full of fiberfil and cedar chips. Fun stuff.
Now they are laying on the naked carpet looking sad and I'm so cold all I can think is "HA! You did this to yourselves!"
It's the 26th of January and I don't really think that I have committed to living in Phoenix yet. I haven't changed my driver's license or my truck's license plate. I haven't taken the dogs in to get new Arizona tags. I don't do anything but play video games and work. I need to make some friends or somehow get involved in something here so I can start to make it home. I feel like I'm still in that limbo I was in before the house sold in OKC--like I don't really belong anywhere. I have a four day weekend coming up and no plans. I really should do something about that.
Okay. Well, that said, I'm off. To play. I was going to go for a walk, but who am I kidding? It's 10 past 8pm, it's dark, and it's probably raining again. Yes. More rain. All it ever does here in ARIZONA is rain. I'm not lying. Exaggerating, yes. Lying, no. There have been floods recently. Yesterday something like 6 of 8 water treatment plants were not functioning because of flood related problems.
Anyway.
Now they are laying on the naked carpet looking sad and I'm so cold all I can think is "HA! You did this to yourselves!"
It's the 26th of January and I don't really think that I have committed to living in Phoenix yet. I haven't changed my driver's license or my truck's license plate. I haven't taken the dogs in to get new Arizona tags. I don't do anything but play video games and work. I need to make some friends or somehow get involved in something here so I can start to make it home. I feel like I'm still in that limbo I was in before the house sold in OKC--like I don't really belong anywhere. I have a four day weekend coming up and no plans. I really should do something about that.
Okay. Well, that said, I'm off. To play. I was going to go for a walk, but who am I kidding? It's 10 past 8pm, it's dark, and it's probably raining again. Yes. More rain. All it ever does here in ARIZONA is rain. I'm not lying. Exaggerating, yes. Lying, no. There have been floods recently. Yesterday something like 6 of 8 water treatment plants were not functioning because of flood related problems.
Anyway.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
untitled
why do I have to title my posts anyway? so much pressure! and then I feel obligated to stick to some sort of imposed theme or subject. "colour *inside* the lines!" bah.
So today has been Sunday. I was off work--at least the paying sort--so when Russell and I got up I went straight to housework, doing some dishes, laundry, and general cleaning stuff while Russell continued some work on a way cool website he's doing. I took Bucket to the dog park (again! twice in two days!?? amazing!), where he charmed most everyone with his big goofy grin. I say *most* everyone, because I don't think the woman whose folding chair cover he peed on was very impressed. ;)
We splurged and ordered out from Claimjumpers (it's a free day for us diet-wise--which is not to say that we are "dieting" as much as just trying to eat more healthfully and, well, less), and now we are waiting somewhat impatiently for our game's log-in servers to come up so we can play!
that's all really. just killin time.
So today has been Sunday. I was off work--at least the paying sort--so when Russell and I got up I went straight to housework, doing some dishes, laundry, and general cleaning stuff while Russell continued some work on a way cool website he's doing. I took Bucket to the dog park (again! twice in two days!?? amazing!), where he charmed most everyone with his big goofy grin. I say *most* everyone, because I don't think the woman whose folding chair cover he peed on was very impressed. ;)
We splurged and ordered out from Claimjumpers (it's a free day for us diet-wise--which is not to say that we are "dieting" as much as just trying to eat more healthfully and, well, less), and now we are waiting somewhat impatiently for our game's log-in servers to come up so we can play!
that's all really. just killin time.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Whack (out of)
It feels like Monday to me, which is oh-so-confusing because it is, indeed, Friday. I'm glad to be working primarily early and mid-day shifts lately, but the days off in the middle of the week thing still throws me for a loop every time.
So it's 20 til 9 and I have to leave in about one hour for work. The dogs are wrestling at my feet, eager to get out all their energies before they get to rest up again in their crates for the day. Tonight they'll do it all again. Will they *ever* slow down?
Don't know if Shanny ever got to see the link, so I'll mention that the cool gift I got was an iPod Shuffle--a teensy little gadget that weighs about, oh, NOTHING, and holds 512k worth of songs. That's about 5-7 hours of music if I'm not mistaken. Woohoo! Plenty for me, and it shuffles everything automatically, so you never get the same mix of stuff. Very nifty. I downloaded and subsequently uploaded a bunch of stuff last night, and I'm going to do the crazy thing and listen to it on my way to work today. A test drive as it were.
Now, the aforementioned bump to the head is doing much better. The swelling has gone down and the scratch is crusting up sooooo nicely. :/ I was watching my feet instead of my head the other day at work, and in order to clear some clutter on the floor I had to sort of hop it. When I did this, I leaped unknowingly into the "Big Joe" (pallet jack) that was at half-mast *with* a pallet on it. My right temple met up with a corner of said pallet in a very dramatic fashion. I dropped to the floor and cried a bit before being ushered into a dark office with a bag of frozen vegetables. Fun times.
Breakfast time for me--ciao!
So it's 20 til 9 and I have to leave in about one hour for work. The dogs are wrestling at my feet, eager to get out all their energies before they get to rest up again in their crates for the day. Tonight they'll do it all again. Will they *ever* slow down?
Don't know if Shanny ever got to see the link, so I'll mention that the cool gift I got was an iPod Shuffle--a teensy little gadget that weighs about, oh, NOTHING, and holds 512k worth of songs. That's about 5-7 hours of music if I'm not mistaken. Woohoo! Plenty for me, and it shuffles everything automatically, so you never get the same mix of stuff. Very nifty. I downloaded and subsequently uploaded a bunch of stuff last night, and I'm going to do the crazy thing and listen to it on my way to work today. A test drive as it were.
Now, the aforementioned bump to the head is doing much better. The swelling has gone down and the scratch is crusting up sooooo nicely. :/ I was watching my feet instead of my head the other day at work, and in order to clear some clutter on the floor I had to sort of hop it. When I did this, I leaped unknowingly into the "Big Joe" (pallet jack) that was at half-mast *with* a pallet on it. My right temple met up with a corner of said pallet in a very dramatic fashion. I dropped to the floor and cried a bit before being ushered into a dark office with a bag of frozen vegetables. Fun times.
Breakfast time for me--ciao!
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Lookeee!
My honey surprised me with a new toy when I got home last night, which was a welcome distraction from the aching head I had after leaping oh-so-ungracefully into the corner of a half-mast pallet lift at work. More about that later...
Check this out!
Combine this new gem with the news that I've finally gotten my cds out of storage (well, most of them) after over a year--I never really unpacked them/had access to them at The House in OK--and you have one VERY happy girl. And I have tomorrow off from work and perhaps this will be my new WoW!
Of course this is incentive to work out, so I need to get back down to the gym and shell out the bucks for that... ;)
And to shell out bucks, I need to work, and to work I need to be dressed and ready to leave in 20 minutes. Ack!
Check this out!
Combine this new gem with the news that I've finally gotten my cds out of storage (well, most of them) after over a year--I never really unpacked them/had access to them at The House in OK--and you have one VERY happy girl. And I have tomorrow off from work and perhaps this will be my new WoW!
Of course this is incentive to work out, so I need to get back down to the gym and shell out the bucks for that... ;)
And to shell out bucks, I need to work, and to work I need to be dressed and ready to leave in 20 minutes. Ack!
Sunday, January 16, 2005
World of Difference
again, not writing for some time has garnered more responses than my actual posts.
hmm
Lots has been going on, primary being that I have a new job.
Not really. But it feels that way. My old boss was "suspended pending investigation" on New Year's Eve. Didn't see that coming, but as it turns out, it was painfully overdue. I'm finding out new horrors daily, such as: Small wonder we all felt strung out and frustrated and sick throughout the holiday season--we were apparently about 25-30 bodies short on staff. We had over 230 hours of overtime for the month of December; our new manager, who transferred from another store, was concerned that his previous location had around 30 hours. I have learned more and taken on more responsibility in the past two weeks than I had the previous two months.
We have a new General Manager and an additional Assistant GM, and they have been wonderful to work with. Communication is happening. Praise is being given. Organisation is happening. I like going to work now.
A great deal of that may have to do with the fact that we aren't as busy now that the holidays have passed. A bigger part may be that I have been working primarily day shifts for about a week and a half. All that really matters is that it is a much better place to be now, and I'm not nauseated before leaving for work anymore.
There's more, like how we went to Ikea to buy some CD cabinets and Bucket ate one of them before we even got it out of the box. And how horribly awful a movie Napoleon Dynamite is while, at the same time, being completely endearing. And that we are Arrested Development junkies (got the DVD collection for Christmas, if I didn't mention that previously). And how my best friend in the whole world even England is going to have a BABY!
But I won't go into all that right now. I'm stinky and need to bathe.
hmm
Lots has been going on, primary being that I have a new job.
Not really. But it feels that way. My old boss was "suspended pending investigation" on New Year's Eve. Didn't see that coming, but as it turns out, it was painfully overdue. I'm finding out new horrors daily, such as: Small wonder we all felt strung out and frustrated and sick throughout the holiday season--we were apparently about 25-30 bodies short on staff. We had over 230 hours of overtime for the month of December; our new manager, who transferred from another store, was concerned that his previous location had around 30 hours. I have learned more and taken on more responsibility in the past two weeks than I had the previous two months.
We have a new General Manager and an additional Assistant GM, and they have been wonderful to work with. Communication is happening. Praise is being given. Organisation is happening. I like going to work now.
A great deal of that may have to do with the fact that we aren't as busy now that the holidays have passed. A bigger part may be that I have been working primarily day shifts for about a week and a half. All that really matters is that it is a much better place to be now, and I'm not nauseated before leaving for work anymore.
There's more, like how we went to Ikea to buy some CD cabinets and Bucket ate one of them before we even got it out of the box. And how horribly awful a movie Napoleon Dynamite is while, at the same time, being completely endearing. And that we are Arrested Development junkies (got the DVD collection for Christmas, if I didn't mention that previously). And how my best friend in the whole world even England is going to have a BABY!
But I won't go into all that right now. I'm stinky and need to bathe.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
listen
I just had a beautiful two days--in a row--off with my honey. He has this week off from work (we won't discuss the enviousness I feel about this), and I somehow got Monday and Tuesday off, so after months of living the "two ships that pass in the night" life, we actually got to hang out. It was GREAT. We played WoW (of course), went shopping for a new office chair for me (one of my Christmas presents--woohoo!), took Bucket to the dog park that we accidentally discovered and which happens to be pretty damn close to the house, went grocery shopping--all the stuff that we used to do. We watched a couple episodes of "Arrested Development" (the first season DVD was another of my gifts), ate a bunch of junk food (New Years is just around the corner and we're bingeing before the Resolutions begin!), and just enjoyed our time together.
And now it's Wednesday and I have to be at work in just over an hour. And I feel sick. Not really physically sick, you know? It's all psychological. I DON'T want to go to work. I dread it. It's a long story, but there is a lot of bad feeling going around right now about certain people being played favourites to. There is also the non-suportive/non-communicative GM made *more* frustrating by the fact that the AGM is out of town this week. She is amazing and supportive and communicative and fun...and she's been gone since last Thursday. It's been very tough without her.
Anyway. It's time to start thinking very seriously about how to approach yet another job hunt. I would love to quit cold turkey, but the responsible side of me says "Wait until you've found something else!". So that's probably what I'll do. Sort of depends on how things work out for this Saturday. That's another long story (and ties in with the favouritism mentioned above)...I'll let you know how it turns out, at least.
later.
And now it's Wednesday and I have to be at work in just over an hour. And I feel sick. Not really physically sick, you know? It's all psychological. I DON'T want to go to work. I dread it. It's a long story, but there is a lot of bad feeling going around right now about certain people being played favourites to. There is also the non-suportive/non-communicative GM made *more* frustrating by the fact that the AGM is out of town this week. She is amazing and supportive and communicative and fun...and she's been gone since last Thursday. It's been very tough without her.
Anyway. It's time to start thinking very seriously about how to approach yet another job hunt. I would love to quit cold turkey, but the responsible side of me says "Wait until you've found something else!". So that's probably what I'll do. Sort of depends on how things work out for this Saturday. That's another long story (and ties in with the favouritism mentioned above)...I'll let you know how it turns out, at least.
later.
Sunday, December 19, 2004
A Long Time Ago
Churches were the center of any town or community. The buildings were not merely used for religious practice; they were meeting halls and schools and, sometimes, centers of defense in times of need. They had very tall spires or towers so that people could locate them easily from miles around.
Yesterday morning I drove East on the 101 at 6:30 in the morning. In the distance I saw, to my horror, the giant blue spire that sits at the corner of the shopping district where I work. I had never realised that at night it is lit up and visible for miles and miles. So are shopping centers the new churches? Do they now give our cities their sense of self? "Here is Our Shopping Center! Behold its Majesty! Revel in its Importance to our Community!"
It kinda seems that way as the holiday approaches and there are so many thousands of people out fighting traffic and lines in order to gift family and friends with lots of "things". More than once as I have rung up a harried shopper's purchase at the store I have wondered when, if ever, these folks think about why Christmas even exists as a holiday. Pagan and Christian, there are pretty deep roots to all this "celebration", and I think all or most of it has been lost to the monsters of marketing.
So. Here's my challenge to you: if you are celebrating some sort of winter festival this year, be it Hannuka, Christmas, Solstice, Kwanzaa, or whatever...take a moment or two to stop and think about it. Give the season a little bit of reverence amidst the shopping and spending and wrapping and baking and eating. I'm not saying that all that stuff is wrong; I'd be a hypocrite to do so (I'm going out to finish my holiday shopping as soon as I'm done here)--I'm just saying that regrounding ourselves from time to time and remembering to be thankful and reverent (to Mother Nature or Jesus or, heck, yourself and your family--whomever floats yer boat) is a needed activity.
That said, I'm off to see the wizard... ;)
Yesterday morning I drove East on the 101 at 6:30 in the morning. In the distance I saw, to my horror, the giant blue spire that sits at the corner of the shopping district where I work. I had never realised that at night it is lit up and visible for miles and miles. So are shopping centers the new churches? Do they now give our cities their sense of self? "Here is Our Shopping Center! Behold its Majesty! Revel in its Importance to our Community!"
It kinda seems that way as the holiday approaches and there are so many thousands of people out fighting traffic and lines in order to gift family and friends with lots of "things". More than once as I have rung up a harried shopper's purchase at the store I have wondered when, if ever, these folks think about why Christmas even exists as a holiday. Pagan and Christian, there are pretty deep roots to all this "celebration", and I think all or most of it has been lost to the monsters of marketing.
So. Here's my challenge to you: if you are celebrating some sort of winter festival this year, be it Hannuka, Christmas, Solstice, Kwanzaa, or whatever...take a moment or two to stop and think about it. Give the season a little bit of reverence amidst the shopping and spending and wrapping and baking and eating. I'm not saying that all that stuff is wrong; I'd be a hypocrite to do so (I'm going out to finish my holiday shopping as soon as I'm done here)--I'm just saying that regrounding ourselves from time to time and remembering to be thankful and reverent (to Mother Nature or Jesus or, heck, yourself and your family--whomever floats yer boat) is a needed activity.
That said, I'm off to see the wizard... ;)
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
A Few Things. . .
If the hot cocoa cannister says "mix with 8oz warm milk..." don't imagine that substituting water will be a nice alternative. The cocoa folks know what they are talking about.
If you are holding a tube of pre-mixed pesto sauce and need to cut the top off for serving purposes, HOLD THE BOTTOM OF THE TUBE...not the top bit you are cutting off.
Guys: Soaking your dishes will win you points EVERY TIME. Leaving pizza sauce and cheese crusty plates in the sink to be washed will not.
If you are holding a tube of pre-mixed pesto sauce and need to cut the top off for serving purposes, HOLD THE BOTTOM OF THE TUBE...not the top bit you are cutting off.
Guys: Soaking your dishes will win you points EVERY TIME. Leaving pizza sauce and cheese crusty plates in the sink to be washed will not.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Countdown
The desert is not a good place to have a holiday like Christmas. I'm having a hard enough time adjusting to the no-cold-no-green aspect; the lack of snow or even frost on my windshield just throws me completely off kilter. It doesn't seem possible that Christmas is 11 days away. I started shopping *yesterday* after a chat with my mom on the phone gave me the appropriate "D'OH" response.
On the up side, real trees are much less expensive here. Proximity to the mountains and all, I guess.
Another odd thing about this place is that there are trucks that hose down the desert. That's right. Any desert that encroaches on civilization (read that again and THINK about it...) is given a good water bath on a regular basis to keep the dust down. There is actually a sign in our neighbourhood that lists a toll-free number that residents can call if they feel the dust is not being appropriately nullified. Last night on my way home I found myself behind a big water truck that was spewing out thousands of gallons of water onto the side of the road.
*sigh*
On the up side, real trees are much less expensive here. Proximity to the mountains and all, I guess.
Another odd thing about this place is that there are trucks that hose down the desert. That's right. Any desert that encroaches on civilization (read that again and THINK about it...) is given a good water bath on a regular basis to keep the dust down. There is actually a sign in our neighbourhood that lists a toll-free number that residents can call if they feel the dust is not being appropriately nullified. Last night on my way home I found myself behind a big water truck that was spewing out thousands of gallons of water onto the side of the road.
*sigh*
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Okaaaaaaaay!
I've gotten more comments from *not* writing than when I was making a concerted effort. So while I wait for my mud mask to dry, I guess I can jot a few words (do we "jot" any more? sometimes pens feel so foreign in my hand) to my bereft readers.
You may have noticed that my last entry was November 21st. World of Warcraft came out on the 23rd. Hence my absence from most things resembling real life. WoW is the reason there is a layer of dogfur 1/4 inch thick covering every surface of the house. WoW is the reason frozen dinners are the meal of choice (well, that and the fact that I've been getting home from work at 12am and who wants to fire up the stove at that time of night?). The game consumes us as we try to attain levels and gear and OMG we are such geeks!
There are worse habits, you know. We are not drug addicts or gamblers. Neither of us smokes, robs liquor stores, or engages in kiddie porn. We pay roughly $30 a month to play a video game during most of our waking moments. There *ARE* worse habits.
So now that that has been loosed upon you, I'll return to matters more mundane, such as the fact that I have the next day and 1/2 off. What a welcome respite from the Wild World of Retail. I have promised myself for the past few days that I would spend my weekend looking for another job. I should hold myself to that. I've decided that a boring M-F 8-5 job might not be so bad after all. It's a trade off really... Do a job I enjoy during the worst possible hours, or do a job I can tolerate and have evenings and weekends to see my honey and have a life? I'd like to make my life and my job two separate entities, and right now that's just not happening. Who wants to socialise or shop or go for mt. bike rides at 2am? So maybe there are a few people, but I suspect they are a select group and not at all easy to hook up with. Thank you, but I'll take the travelled road on this one.
And then there is this. Totally unrelated, but something that has stuck with me for over a week now. I was driving to Mesa to deliver our rent check and I drove past what appeared to be a cotton field. Not sure that's what it was, as it seems unlikely that such a crop would grow in Arizona, but that's what it looked like. Big billowy tufts of white all dotting this huge field. And suddenly there I was, getting all verklempt thinking that it looked like snow and missing Oklahoma of all things! It's been raining here for days but we will not see snow unless we travel to the mountains. I miss winter.
Anyway. There you go.
You may have noticed that my last entry was November 21st. World of Warcraft came out on the 23rd. Hence my absence from most things resembling real life. WoW is the reason there is a layer of dogfur 1/4 inch thick covering every surface of the house. WoW is the reason frozen dinners are the meal of choice (well, that and the fact that I've been getting home from work at 12am and who wants to fire up the stove at that time of night?). The game consumes us as we try to attain levels and gear and OMG we are such geeks!
There are worse habits, you know. We are not drug addicts or gamblers. Neither of us smokes, robs liquor stores, or engages in kiddie porn. We pay roughly $30 a month to play a video game during most of our waking moments. There *ARE* worse habits.
So now that that has been loosed upon you, I'll return to matters more mundane, such as the fact that I have the next day and 1/2 off. What a welcome respite from the Wild World of Retail. I have promised myself for the past few days that I would spend my weekend looking for another job. I should hold myself to that. I've decided that a boring M-F 8-5 job might not be so bad after all. It's a trade off really... Do a job I enjoy during the worst possible hours, or do a job I can tolerate and have evenings and weekends to see my honey and have a life? I'd like to make my life and my job two separate entities, and right now that's just not happening. Who wants to socialise or shop or go for mt. bike rides at 2am? So maybe there are a few people, but I suspect they are a select group and not at all easy to hook up with. Thank you, but I'll take the travelled road on this one.
And then there is this. Totally unrelated, but something that has stuck with me for over a week now. I was driving to Mesa to deliver our rent check and I drove past what appeared to be a cotton field. Not sure that's what it was, as it seems unlikely that such a crop would grow in Arizona, but that's what it looked like. Big billowy tufts of white all dotting this huge field. And suddenly there I was, getting all verklempt thinking that it looked like snow and missing Oklahoma of all things! It's been raining here for days but we will not see snow unless we travel to the mountains. I miss winter.
Anyway. There you go.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Desert Curmudgeon?
It's just a phase, I'm sure! Apparently I was more hilarious prior to The Move. I think I'm still working through the Tauren abhorrence of upheaval and the loss of my ruts. Once I settle in here and find my place I'll return to my formerly jovial and amusing self!
I think I still am feeling that limbo sort of thing where I don't really belong here. Having a job helps; I'm talking to real live human beings again and a kid who listed "mt. biking and hiking" among his interests applied the other day. Maybe he'll get hired and I can bug him to show me some trails. Then I'll meet other bikers and get back that part of my life and feel even MORE settled.
At any rate, thanks to Shannon and David for their wonderful comments. To David, I must say that the "sad and sorry" comment applied to the quantity, NOT the quality of my posters. :) I know that my folks and my best friend read the Blog, but they never comment. Russell reads and comments from time to time, but NOT ENOUGH! My fellow Larp-er Chris in Dallas reads--or used to--but hasn't commented in some time. I think fellow WoW-er Brian might take a peek now that he knows I'm here, but so far has not said hello. So here's a message to all you lurkers: I KNOW YOU ARE OUT THERE! For the love of pete, just say "Hi" once in a while. It's not that difficult and it will do wonders for my ego--cos you all know how fragile and insecure I am! LOL!
In other news:
I have been given the task of making devliled eggs and perhaps a "jello salad" for Thanksgiving Dinner at my sister's. I had previously informed her that I love to bake and do some really good deserts--that I'd even do a veggie or fruit tray if needed. And the email I get today informs me that I've been given deviled eggs and/or jello salad. WTF? I think I can manage the eggs. Jello salad? Not only does it sound gross; I have no idea what it involves. I'm pretty sure it's the POLAR OPPOSITE of baking.
I think I still am feeling that limbo sort of thing where I don't really belong here. Having a job helps; I'm talking to real live human beings again and a kid who listed "mt. biking and hiking" among his interests applied the other day. Maybe he'll get hired and I can bug him to show me some trails. Then I'll meet other bikers and get back that part of my life and feel even MORE settled.
At any rate, thanks to Shannon and David for their wonderful comments. To David, I must say that the "sad and sorry" comment applied to the quantity, NOT the quality of my posters. :) I know that my folks and my best friend read the Blog, but they never comment. Russell reads and comments from time to time, but NOT ENOUGH! My fellow Larp-er Chris in Dallas reads--or used to--but hasn't commented in some time. I think fellow WoW-er Brian might take a peek now that he knows I'm here, but so far has not said hello. So here's a message to all you lurkers: I KNOW YOU ARE OUT THERE! For the love of pete, just say "Hi" once in a while. It's not that difficult and it will do wonders for my ego--cos you all know how fragile and insecure I am! LOL!
In other news:
I have been given the task of making devliled eggs and perhaps a "jello salad" for Thanksgiving Dinner at my sister's. I had previously informed her that I love to bake and do some really good deserts--that I'd even do a veggie or fruit tray if needed. And the email I get today informs me that I've been given deviled eggs and/or jello salad. WTF? I think I can manage the eggs. Jello salad? Not only does it sound gross; I have no idea what it involves. I'm pretty sure it's the POLAR OPPOSITE of baking.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Roto-Blog
My fellow internet denizen, David, has a blog here, and while I've always thought it a clever title and apropo to the vehicle, this morning it really dawned on me.
Journals and Blogs should clean things out a bit more perhaps than I've allowed. I do censor myself here because I know it's being read. Read by a sad sorry few, to judge by the comments or, rather, lack thereof, but read nonetheless. I wonder how healthy that is? It's enough that we go through our everydays censoring our thoughts and actions for fear what someone else might think, but to do it here, in a place that should serve as some sort of catharsis is just wrong.
That said, I'm not going to suddenly launch into a cursing rant about my deepest darkest fears and desires, but I will promise to (try) to be a little more forthcoming about stuff and not just tell you about cleaning the kitchen or getting my bank stuff sorted out. I'm still going to talk about the dogs and Russell, and I may even mention work from time to time. But I think I'm going to unleash a bit more. I owe it to myself. And you're all adults. I don't have to protect you from anything.
But we'll start on that for the next session. For now I have to go to work. :)
Journals and Blogs should clean things out a bit more perhaps than I've allowed. I do censor myself here because I know it's being read. Read by a sad sorry few, to judge by the comments or, rather, lack thereof, but read nonetheless. I wonder how healthy that is? It's enough that we go through our everydays censoring our thoughts and actions for fear what someone else might think, but to do it here, in a place that should serve as some sort of catharsis is just wrong.
That said, I'm not going to suddenly launch into a cursing rant about my deepest darkest fears and desires, but I will promise to (try) to be a little more forthcoming about stuff and not just tell you about cleaning the kitchen or getting my bank stuff sorted out. I'm still going to talk about the dogs and Russell, and I may even mention work from time to time. But I think I'm going to unleash a bit more. I owe it to myself. And you're all adults. I don't have to protect you from anything.
But we'll start on that for the next session. For now I have to go to work. :)
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Observations
1) Living in Phoenix is kind of like being on vacation everyday, at least from the scenery standpoint. There are mountains and palm trees and it feels a little like any movie about Hollywood I've ever scene. Or Miami Vice. Either way, neither places are ones I'd ever hoped to inhabit.
2) The weather has been nice, I gotta say. Cool and sunny during the day and downright chilly at night. It's a shame I spend every waking moment indoors. Gotta do something about that.
3) The birds at the Arizona Bread Company 'round the bend from where I work are downright shameless beggars, but they gave me a hearty laugh today as they swooped en masse to pick up my tossed calzone bits.
4) I need one of those voice-recorder things so I can remember little bits of wisdom I think during the day, cos I sure as hell can't remember them on my own. HINT HINT
5) The job has been tolerable this week, owing mostly to the fact that I've not been there on my own as much. And I'm getting to know the store a little better. And I've started to just pretend like I know a lot more than I do.
6) The more I look at the computer the more my eyes hurt and, did you hear? They are finding that prolonged computer usage seems to result in an increase in glaucoma cases--particularly in nearsighted folks. *sigh*
7) Yeah. So. Tomorrow is my day off. I'll let you know how my jaunt to the Bank goes--they made a deposit to my savings that should have been to my checking, and now I'm overdrawn. They've admitted it was their mistake, for the most part. Now I just gotta make them own up and fix it. War, I say, WAR!
and, goodnight.
2) The weather has been nice, I gotta say. Cool and sunny during the day and downright chilly at night. It's a shame I spend every waking moment indoors. Gotta do something about that.
3) The birds at the Arizona Bread Company 'round the bend from where I work are downright shameless beggars, but they gave me a hearty laugh today as they swooped en masse to pick up my tossed calzone bits.
4) I need one of those voice-recorder things so I can remember little bits of wisdom I think during the day, cos I sure as hell can't remember them on my own. HINT HINT
5) The job has been tolerable this week, owing mostly to the fact that I've not been there on my own as much. And I'm getting to know the store a little better. And I've started to just pretend like I know a lot more than I do.
6) The more I look at the computer the more my eyes hurt and, did you hear? They are finding that prolonged computer usage seems to result in an increase in glaucoma cases--particularly in nearsighted folks. *sigh*
7) Yeah. So. Tomorrow is my day off. I'll let you know how my jaunt to the Bank goes--they made a deposit to my savings that should have been to my checking, and now I'm overdrawn. They've admitted it was their mistake, for the most part. Now I just gotta make them own up and fix it. War, I say, WAR!
and, goodnight.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Fog
I'm never sure what day it is anymore, since I have such a whacked out work schedule. Today is Monday, because the dog calendar on the tv says so, but it feels like a Thursday or something. I guess it's my Wednesday, because my ONLY day off this week is Thursday...three days from now. "Overtime. Overtime. Overtime." That is my mantra and it shall keep me plugging along. The bills aren't giving up; how can I?
It's raining again. This is the wettest desert I've ever been in. Sure, sure, it's the only desert, but it's still the wettest. People keep saying we need it, but for what? Are the rocks around here some sort of life form that has been conspiratorialy(!!??!) kept from the rest of the world?
Anyway. I went to let the dogs out, and there was the rain. Damn.
And I have to leave for work in about an hour, so I'm going to go bathe and eat and other mundane things.
It's raining again. This is the wettest desert I've ever been in. Sure, sure, it's the only desert, but it's still the wettest. People keep saying we need it, but for what? Are the rocks around here some sort of life form that has been conspiratorialy(!!??!) kept from the rest of the world?
Anyway. I went to let the dogs out, and there was the rain. Damn.
And I have to leave for work in about an hour, so I'm going to go bathe and eat and other mundane things.
Saturday, November 13, 2004
Poo Patrol
It's a brighter day! Spicy ginger and garlic chicken in the oven, flip flops on my feet. Headed into the backyard to de-poopify it. Delilah is a poo-prude, we've decided. She has issues with poopin while on walks; she always saves it for the yard. Bucket, in typical man-style, will poop anywhere, anytime--including the yard in prolific quantities.
In other news:
I have to work every day except Thursday next week. But OH! the overtime! Right? Right. And I'm only "alone" (aka, the sole supervisor) in the store for two hours on Tuesday night. That makes a huge difference in my "I hate this f*$&ing job" mantra. This week it will simply be "I hate these f**#ing hours".
Poo awaits.
In other news:
I have to work every day except Thursday next week. But OH! the overtime! Right? Right. And I'm only "alone" (aka, the sole supervisor) in the store for two hours on Tuesday night. That makes a huge difference in my "I hate this f*$&ing job" mantra. This week it will simply be "I hate these f**#ing hours".
Poo awaits.
Friday, November 12, 2004
Some Stuff
Um. I just wrote a lot of words about my psycho freak out yesterday, but it's probably not something you want to hear about and mostly I just needed to put some things into words to try to work it out.
Suffice it to say:
1) I'm going through a phase where it seems like everything I do is messed up. In the past month I've been rear-ended, backed into someone, cut and bruised myself in amazingly imaginative ways, dropped and broken things, burnt things, lost things, etc, etc, etc.... The planets are mis-aligned, surely.
2) The dogs are frustrating me beyond reason and after talking to Russell about it we are going to make a concerted effort to spend more active time with them in hopes of alleviating that frustration. If that doesn't work, we may look into rehoming them. We got up at the ass-crack of dawn this morning to take them for a walk, and that actually was really nice. It was great for us to be able to spend more time together and talk, too. I miss that.
3) My dream job is turning into a nightmare (I'm actually a little sick to my stomach right now thinking of going back in, and yesterday I very nearly threw up thinking of it...long story), but I've decided to stick it out for a bit longer to see if things get better. I think I can last through the Holiday Rush at least, and not let them down and keep some $$ rolling in so we can take care of some bills and have Holidays ourselves.
4) Russell is the most amazing person ever in the whole world to just listen to my ranting and raving and not flee screaming from the house in a fit of terror. I was appallingly weepy, needy, bitchy, and hurtful last night, and he stuck by me through it all, just listening and letting me know that he wants to help in any way he can. I'm not sure I would have done the same in his position (I was that horrible). I'm so lucky to have a friend/partner like him.
5) I'm feeling much better right now, but still dreading work. I have to leave here in about an hour. Middle shift, and I'm going to do my damndest to get out of there ON TIME tonight. I still don't know my schedule for tomorrow or next week, which puts the Tauren in me right up against the precipice of insanity, but I'll find out today AND get paid, so perhaps it will all turn out okay.
So there you go. A more concise rant than the original one. Fewer sordid details. Trust me when I tell you, you don't want to know.
Suffice it to say:
1) I'm going through a phase where it seems like everything I do is messed up. In the past month I've been rear-ended, backed into someone, cut and bruised myself in amazingly imaginative ways, dropped and broken things, burnt things, lost things, etc, etc, etc.... The planets are mis-aligned, surely.
2) The dogs are frustrating me beyond reason and after talking to Russell about it we are going to make a concerted effort to spend more active time with them in hopes of alleviating that frustration. If that doesn't work, we may look into rehoming them. We got up at the ass-crack of dawn this morning to take them for a walk, and that actually was really nice. It was great for us to be able to spend more time together and talk, too. I miss that.
3) My dream job is turning into a nightmare (I'm actually a little sick to my stomach right now thinking of going back in, and yesterday I very nearly threw up thinking of it...long story), but I've decided to stick it out for a bit longer to see if things get better. I think I can last through the Holiday Rush at least, and not let them down and keep some $$ rolling in so we can take care of some bills and have Holidays ourselves.
4) Russell is the most amazing person ever in the whole world to just listen to my ranting and raving and not flee screaming from the house in a fit of terror. I was appallingly weepy, needy, bitchy, and hurtful last night, and he stuck by me through it all, just listening and letting me know that he wants to help in any way he can. I'm not sure I would have done the same in his position (I was that horrible). I'm so lucky to have a friend/partner like him.
5) I'm feeling much better right now, but still dreading work. I have to leave here in about an hour. Middle shift, and I'm going to do my damndest to get out of there ON TIME tonight. I still don't know my schedule for tomorrow or next week, which puts the Tauren in me right up against the precipice of insanity, but I'll find out today AND get paid, so perhaps it will all turn out okay.
So there you go. A more concise rant than the original one. Fewer sordid details. Trust me when I tell you, you don't want to know.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Oh yeah...
By the way, a college friend of mine sent me an article and this link. We went to school with Laura. She's now going to be on Trading Spaces.
I'm so freaking proud to be working a shitty retail job at this moment.
*sigh*
I'm so freaking proud to be working a shitty retail job at this moment.
*sigh*
Exhaustion
I am tired. Yesterday was the worst day ever (so far) at the store. I had to take my lunch before I'd even been there for two hours and didn't get another break the entire evening (and I was there until nearly midnight). I was the only person with a set of keys or a badge, and there were 2 or three major furniture load-outs which necessitated someone going to the trailers--with keys. I could go on. And on. I left quite a lengthy little "journal" for the opener this morning. In retrospect it may have been a little more whining than constructive information, but I really needed to vent.
Thank goodness I work 10-7 today (nearly guaranteed to be a regular-length shift instead of having to worry about customers coming in late for huge furniture sales and then jamming up the computers with icko credit cards and tieing up the front two registers until nearly a quarter to 10.) and I'm off tomorrow. Not sure when my next day off will be, but I haven't yet had two days off in a row. Wouldn't be so bad, but after yesterday, I need a full-length vacation. And then Russell needed to wake up at 4am to work a bit from home (guess whose side of the bed the alarm is on...), and then of course he popped in to say goodbye before he left a little before 7. I'm NOT complaining; I love that he does that. I'm just a little more tired than usual for being jolted from sleep several times over the course of my already stunted naptime.
So I'm exhausted. Mentally, physically, and in every other way exhausted. I really hate sleeping through my day off, particularly since Ikea opens today and I'd hoped to go down tomorrow, but I'll wager I spend a goodly portion of Thursday sleeping or at least lounging as lazily as possible.
Anyway.
Thank goodness I work 10-7 today (nearly guaranteed to be a regular-length shift instead of having to worry about customers coming in late for huge furniture sales and then jamming up the computers with icko credit cards and tieing up the front two registers until nearly a quarter to 10.) and I'm off tomorrow. Not sure when my next day off will be, but I haven't yet had two days off in a row. Wouldn't be so bad, but after yesterday, I need a full-length vacation. And then Russell needed to wake up at 4am to work a bit from home (guess whose side of the bed the alarm is on...), and then of course he popped in to say goodbye before he left a little before 7. I'm NOT complaining; I love that he does that. I'm just a little more tired than usual for being jolted from sleep several times over the course of my already stunted naptime.
So I'm exhausted. Mentally, physically, and in every other way exhausted. I really hate sleeping through my day off, particularly since Ikea opens today and I'd hoped to go down tomorrow, but I'll wager I spend a goodly portion of Thursday sleeping or at least lounging as lazily as possible.
Anyway.
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