Wednesday, October 27, 2004

And So It Begins

Sorry for the lack of blogging. I've been working late at work, which is fine by me since I'll be getting some overtime.

Friday is my last day of work. By next Wednesday, I'll be on the road with the move, and it will realistically be at least another week before I have internet service.

Saturday, October 23, 2004

Animal Instinct

I think Jack knows something's up. Maybe it's because I came home with over $50 in merchandise from PetSmart. I would have thought it was the new travel carrier that I bought for him, but I think what freaked him out was when I put him in his new harness (for which I also bought him a leash.)

Jack really doesn't like the harness. He put up a valiant effort to resist me when I was putting it on him, but like that was going to work. I won. The harness is on. He went into hiding.

He has since returned because he is lap whore. Definitely all about the snuggle. Just wait 'til he sees the Calm Down that I bought for him to take on the trip. I'm hoping it will keep him semi-medicated for the trip. The sales clerk's response was encouraging. As she scanned it, she asked me if I had just gotten a wild cat. I'm thinking this stuff is good.

You Mean I Get Overtime Now?

Yesterday, at 5:15 PM, one of my boss's asks me to come into work today. Woo hoo. Overtime. Oh wait, I was going to try to do a bunch of that packing that I've been avoiding for that last two weeks. So those 5 days of work I thought I had left are 6 again. Oh, and we're playing it by ear on whether I get to go in tomorrow. Uh, yay!

On the bright side, the boots are paid for.

Thursday, October 21, 2004

The Day in Review

I was very excited to get to go in an hour later for work, namely because it meant I could sleep in an hour later this morning. However, I felt really odd being at home watching The Today Show while everyone else was working. It reminded me of when I was unemployed. I didn't like it. Have I mentioned lately that I will soon be unemployed again. Next week is my last week at work. :( I bought myself some Starbucks to cheer myself up.

At the catered lunch at work, I accidentally dipped the sleeve of my favorite red sweater, the one with bell sleeves, into the sauce/gravy/drippings when getting a piece of meat. Sadly the meat didn't taste as good as what was on my sleeve. I was constantly reminded all afternoon of the lunch that might have been.

I capped the day by shoe shopping with women for work in preparation for a big shindig next week. Despite my impending unemployment, I bought myself black boots. Good, conquer the world boots that actually look much more grown-up that the shoes I usually wear. They were only $10 more than I wanted to spend, but 2 months from now, if I'm still unemployed, I'm going to wish I had that $50. I'm consoling myself with the thought that I can wear them for job interviews once we move.

Sunday, October 17, 2004

Woo Hoo! New Toy!

Yippee! I love that I now have a way to post photos on my blog for free. (see below)

Now if only I could find the photos from last weekend's trip to SeaWorld San Diego. Then I could show that stupid whale that drenched me, leading to the crappy pseudo-cold I had last Sunday.

Since Jack can be quite bold at time, I thought it might be a good idea to find some supplies to make the trip easier on both of us. So I dragged the b/f to PetsMart this afternoon. Found a carrier that should work nicely. Also found some product called Calm Down, an herbal supplicant to keep him, shall we say, sedated. $10, but quite possibly worth every penny.

Okay. I thought it was about time that you saw Jack. This is the little butterball himself.

Something to Look Forward to

We took Jack out for a drive this morning.

He's always looking outside longingly and meowing when we leave. Plus, we'll be moving in roughly 3 weeks, so we thought it would be a good idea to log in some road miles with the kitty.

The verdict?

He hated. Heart-wrenching meows that sounded like an animal dying. When he wasn't hiding behind my legs or between the seat and the door, he was on my lap with his head buried under my arm. It's going to be a long, long drive.

Thursday, October 14, 2004

Sloop John B Day

Here's a sampling of my day to give you an idea of how it went.

Left alone to man the office, I have a guy come in pretty upset. He wants to speak to Employee #1 or #2. I explain that neither of them are in the office and offer to take a message. This would not do.

"What's #1's cell phone number?"

"I'm sorry. I can't give out that number."

"What?!?!?!?!" That can't be. Who do I call to get it?"

"I'm sorry. #1's the only one I can get permission from."

Angry mumbling. So being polite and trying to help, I offer...

"Let me try to catch #1 on #1's cell."

This was well received. So I call #1 who tells me,

"I don't deal with that. Talk to #3."

I should add that #1 was cranky that I called. So I tell the visitor this, informing him that I am allowed to give him #3's number. He's irate. He doesn't want to talk to #3. He's talked to #3. #3's no help. #3's useless. Blah, blah, blah. Whine, whine, whine.

"I'm sorry. #1 said #3 is the one you need to talk to."

So being the helpful person that I am, I take the initiative, calling #3, who doesn't answer, and leave a message.

"Well can't you call #2?"

Well with honeyed tones like that, how could I resist?

"Sure."

I pick up the phone, only to have 2 other lines flash with incoming calls. So I work my receptionist magic, and on busy days, it is magic. All the while directing the delivery guy who has now walked in.

When the phones and deliveries are taken care of, I return the task of calling #2 at which Mr. Attitude, in a tone more befitting a friend, says,

"Oh, I don't envy you. It's gotta be insane (as in busy) around here. Having to deal with all the people coming in. I don't know how you do it."

Imagine if you will, me sitting at my receptionist's desk, with a stunned, mental, "Oh my God." Followed immediately with a mental, "It'd be great if I didn't have to deal with jacka$$e$ like you."

I smile politely and start dialing. #2, much to my delight, doesn't answer so I leave a message.

Confident that I have done everything I can and more than this guy deserves, I offer to pass along his business card to #3 and to have #3 contact him. Handing me his card, he includes two coupons for business. Apparently he has recognized his a$$like behavior and is trying to make nice.

"Oh, thanks, but I don't need these. I'm moving out of the area shortly."

You are not my friend. You act like jerk and no amount of kindness is going to change the fact that you thought you were justified in trying to bully me. You failed now get out of my office. Go wait for your phone call and try to act more professional in the future.

Thank God my mouth filter was in full working order and the only things that got out of my mouth were the things in quotation marks. At least some of us know how to behave professionally.

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

GRRRR!!!!!!

Okay. I'm watching the presidential debate. Or at least I'm trying to. I'll admit that I get frustrated and turn the channel.

Bush just answered the question on what he would tell a person who just lost their job overseas. He went into improving education. Ewww, I'm piping mad. Not even going into my issues with his education policies, here's my quick venting with his "education" answer.

  1. He stressed improving education for kids earlier in the school system it is "too late." Excuse me, but bulls***. I've volunteered in adult literacy. There is no "too late." It can be difficult for adult learners so early intervention is great, but if you look at adults and tell them it is "too late" you only perpetuate the problem.
  2. Education does not guarantee a job. I have a B.A. from a prestigious private university and an M.S. that I obtained with a 4.0 and unanimous support of my professors for pursuing a doctorate. When I moved to California, I was unemployed for 5 months. I'm not even terribly picky. The problem is, I have to earn a respectable pay to cover the over $400 a month that I am paying in student loans each month. Education guarantees nothing.

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Why I'm Not Ready for Motherhood

I consider our cat, Jack, to be me my barometer on my readiness for motherhood. Most mornings it's usually that I can't take his meowing when I leave. I feel so guilty for leaving him alone.

Sunday was a whole different animal. There was kitty vomit. Lots of it.

I rounded him up and put him in the bathroom until I knew the coast was clear while the b/f and I proceeded with the clean up. Nothing too painful. Twenty minutes later. Jack was back in my arms getting his tummy rubbed.

Monday morning, the boyfriend advises me on his way out to work (before I was even awake) to be careful where I step. Jack left surprises overnight.

Luckily, I didn't encounter any.

I get home from work later that day to discover that the cat knocked over the bathroom trashcan. The b/f came home soon after and told me what he found that morning. We put two and two together and discovered Jack was a poo eater. Granted, I would never let a child eat poo, but my "Ewww!" tolerance level isn't up to snuff for kids.

Friday, October 08, 2004

When Not to Shop at a Small Local Business

I'm all for shopping at local businesses, especially when my hometown is down to one grocery store. The next closest place to do grocery shopping is at a Super Wal-Mart in a town 30 minutes away (they have lost all their other grocers.)

One of the things that has helped this particular grocery store is their movie rental department, it too being the only place to rent a movie in town. So Tuesday morning my mom called in to reserve a copy of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. When she later called to follow up on it, she found out that they weren't going to carry it, at all. Bear in mind, the movie didn't come to this small, Republican town's movie theaters either.

My mom, my brother, and myself are angry about this. They are all for boycotting this business because of management's decision not to give people an opportunity to decide for themselves whether to watch this movie. I'm encouraging my mom to write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper and to the owner. I think they need to feel it in their pocket to reconsider.

The toughest opponent my mom has in her boycott is my dad. He's a staunch supporter of local business. He refuses to shop elsewhere. So my mom informed him that Saturday when he goes to do the grocery store, he's going alone and without a list from her. He can "figure it out." I predict he spend a small fortune on crap they don't need.

Thursday, October 07, 2004

A Surprise Ending

I dreamt last night that I was at work. Instead of my usual receptionist duties, I was out working with people resolving problems. As my day wound down, I started reflecting on the hit-and-miss of it, trying to decide what to blog about regarding it. When I woke up, I couldn't believe that the dream seemed so real that I was actually reflecting on blogging it like it had been a real day at work. Though oddly enough, I can't really remember many of details of the dream now itself.

Sunday, October 03, 2004

Countdowns

I'm happy to report that Misc Karen has reached a milestone, its first 1000 hits. After my first few months of blogging, I thought it would take a few years to get a thousand hits. It's even more amazing considering how inconsistent I have been about blogging (more on that in a moment.) To all of my regular readers, I say "Thanks!" Especially to those of you who linked Misc Karen.

As for the blog, I've started drafting a few longer essays and have been thinking about tons of material to write about in general. Like the day last week that started with me getting pulled over for the first time (which fortunately ended with the officer realizing that he had pulled over the wrong vehicle) and ended with me being locked out of the apartment and missing the first debate as a result.

If i'm not actually writing much, it's because I'm thinking of another countdown, moving. The b/f's current project at work should be over at month's end which means we should be moving shortly thereafter. We are not exactly sure when and have no clue where we be going next. As a result, I need to give notice on my job with my last day being October 29th. Not know where (or when I will know where) we will be living next, I can't exactly start hunting for the next job. It took me 5 months to get my current job. I cannot afford another 5 months of unemployment and I really need a job with health benefits. And there are a litany of worries that I have about job hunting that I won't go into now because I wan't to be able to sleep tonight.

The other kicker is that I won't be able to vote as I don't know where I'll be living and will most likely be in the middle of moving cross country on election day. So those of you who can vote need to vote for those of us who can't.

So the end of October/beginning of November, I won't be blogging while I'm without internet access. On the bright side, all the free time and stress of unemployment should lead to some great blog entries.

And on a completely different tangent, my parting words for this entry are for my beloved Fighting Irish. If you fire Willingham you will never get a penny of donations from this alum.