I work at Junior High. I don't mean I work in a Junior High. I mean my workplace, an office in a telecommunications field, with employees who are well past Junior High age, is basically a Junior High.
There are many isolated instances to support this, but today's incident cemented the feeling of Junior High.
I went into our (very small) lunch room to find that there was no space at the table. Normally there are only a few people in there, but today it was packed. There were chairs but not one person offered to move their chair so that I could fit a chair up to the table.
Did I mention that one of those employees has been giving me the patented 7th grade Freeze Out for the past few days? No?
Yes. It couldn't have been more Junior High if I had had braces and a bad perm.
Sigh.
Maybe I'll start telling those stories. That might be entertaining.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Hello out there, we're on the air/It's Hockey Night tonight
I'm Canadian. That much is obvious from my profile. But there are times when that Canadian-ness becomes more apparent.
Like last night when I caught a few minutes of the pre-season Flames/Coyotes game. My brain switched to "Hockey's Back!!!" mode instantly. It's like a dearly loved friend had come back from a trip. It's that great time of year again.
The Boy just called and asked if I had plans for tomorrow night. I said no, why? He wanted me to guess and my first thought was "Flames Game" so I said "Are we going to the game???!!!" He was somewhat disappointed that I guessed it so quickly (which I fully understand). Either way, I'm gonna get to see some hockey tomorrow night. Yay. And I couldn't be more happy or happy to be Canadian either.
Like last night when I caught a few minutes of the pre-season Flames/Coyotes game. My brain switched to "Hockey's Back!!!" mode instantly. It's like a dearly loved friend had come back from a trip. It's that great time of year again.
The Boy just called and asked if I had plans for tomorrow night. I said no, why? He wanted me to guess and my first thought was "Flames Game" so I said "Are we going to the game???!!!" He was somewhat disappointed that I guessed it so quickly (which I fully understand). Either way, I'm gonna get to see some hockey tomorrow night. Yay. And I couldn't be more happy or happy to be Canadian either.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
workplace hazards
I wonder if it's possible to dislocate something in my eyes from all the eye-rolling that takes place at work while listening to co-workers complaining. I wonder if irony unrecognized by my coworkers will eventually do me in. I wonder if the not-so-subtle passive agressive behavior of coworkers will eventually be too much for me and i will end up as an evening news item "Woman goes on rampage with stapler." I wonder if the tension in my back and neck will eventually work itself into such a state that i will curl up into a ball and never come out of it.
Sigh. Where's a sugar-daddy when you need one?
Sigh. Where's a sugar-daddy when you need one?
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Standing Ovation
My new job is stressing me out. The work load (way more than they mentioned in the interview), the learning curve, the hostile environment created by a caustic co-worker...
I just re-discovered something I had discovered last year around this time:
Songs from recordings of live performances on your iPod (or similar) give you a chance to pretend that you are being given a round of applause. My new workspace is in a cubicle (which, after years of being at reception or similar, i LOVE! privacy-ish!). The next time a "live" song comes up on shuffle, I'm taking a bow.
**btw: I realize it's been way way way too long since i've posted here. I think I may end up starting up here again, due to the aforementioned stressful job and relative privacy at work... shh...
I just re-discovered something I had discovered last year around this time:
Songs from recordings of live performances on your iPod (or similar) give you a chance to pretend that you are being given a round of applause. My new workspace is in a cubicle (which, after years of being at reception or similar, i LOVE! privacy-ish!). The next time a "live" song comes up on shuffle, I'm taking a bow.
**btw: I realize it's been way way way too long since i've posted here. I think I may end up starting up here again, due to the aforementioned stressful job and relative privacy at work... shh...
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
conversations
1. Yesterday evening it was really warm (for May)(in Calgary)(it was about 25C at 7-ish pm) so I went for a walk down to the St*rb*cks just down the road to get a fr*pp*cino.
I ordered: "Grande Decaf Fr*pp*cino".
The Overly Made Up and Hair-Done (OMUHD) girl at the cash register said back to me: "Grande Decaf Fr*pp*cino?" She then turned to the B*rista behind her and repeated: "Grande Decaf Cappucino."
"Fr*pp*cino", I corrected.
"Right, Cappucino." OMUHD asserted.
I corrected again: "No, Fr*pp*cino."
OMUHD looked confused and said (to me): "Fr*pp*cino?" At my assurance that this was correct, she turned back to B*rista girl and said "Fr*pp*cino. Right. Grande Fr*pp*cino."
I reminded OMUHD of the "Decaf" portion of the order. She turned, once again to the B*rista girl and said "Grande Decaf Cappucino I mean Fr*pp*cino."
That established, it was B*rista girl's turn to be confused.
"Decaf?" she asked. "We don't have Decaf."
There was then a brief discussion between B*rista and Overly Made Up and Hair-Done (OMUHD) girl about the availability of the Decaf (whatever it is they needed. I missed that part). OMUHD turned back to me and told me that they couldn't do a decaf Fr*pp*cino. I asked her why not and got a long story about the missing (whatever it is). OMUHD had the look of a trapped (overly made up and hair-done) deer as she tried to find a solution for me.
"We have Regular and Coffee Lite."
"What is 'Coffee Lite'?" I asked, trying to figure out how that could be a substitute for decaf.
"Well, um. It's lighter. Like it has less calories?"
2. This afternoon at work, a coworker stood behind me for 5 minutes not saying anything. I finally realized she must be there to talk to me, so I asked her "Are you waiting for me?"
"Yes," she said. "I didn't want to bother you."
So I assured her she wasn't bothering me and asked what I could do to help.
"Do you have any undone paperwork for the City?" she asked.
"Like pending invoices?" I asked her.
"No, invoices you haven't done yet." she corrected in the sort of tone one uses with small children.
I told her I didn't have anything for her so she went to find out what was going on. Later, she came back to me with some paperwork that needed to be invoiced.
I asked her, "Do you need me to enter that?" indicating the paperwork in her hand.
"No," she replied. "You just need to enter this," also indicating the paperwork in her hand.
I ordered: "Grande Decaf Fr*pp*cino".
The Overly Made Up and Hair-Done (OMUHD) girl at the cash register said back to me: "Grande Decaf Fr*pp*cino?" She then turned to the B*rista behind her and repeated: "Grande Decaf Cappucino."
"Fr*pp*cino", I corrected.
"Right, Cappucino." OMUHD asserted.
I corrected again: "No, Fr*pp*cino."
OMUHD looked confused and said (to me): "Fr*pp*cino?" At my assurance that this was correct, she turned back to B*rista girl and said "Fr*pp*cino. Right. Grande Fr*pp*cino."
I reminded OMUHD of the "Decaf" portion of the order. She turned, once again to the B*rista girl and said "Grande Decaf Cappucino I mean Fr*pp*cino."
That established, it was B*rista girl's turn to be confused.
"Decaf?" she asked. "We don't have Decaf."
There was then a brief discussion between B*rista and Overly Made Up and Hair-Done (OMUHD) girl about the availability of the Decaf (whatever it is they needed. I missed that part). OMUHD turned back to me and told me that they couldn't do a decaf Fr*pp*cino. I asked her why not and got a long story about the missing (whatever it is). OMUHD had the look of a trapped (overly made up and hair-done) deer as she tried to find a solution for me.
"We have Regular and Coffee Lite."
"What is 'Coffee Lite'?" I asked, trying to figure out how that could be a substitute for decaf.
"Well, um. It's lighter. Like it has less calories?"
2. This afternoon at work, a coworker stood behind me for 5 minutes not saying anything. I finally realized she must be there to talk to me, so I asked her "Are you waiting for me?"
"Yes," she said. "I didn't want to bother you."
So I assured her she wasn't bothering me and asked what I could do to help.
"Do you have any undone paperwork for the City?" she asked.
"Like pending invoices?" I asked her.
"No, invoices you haven't done yet." she corrected in the sort of tone one uses with small children.
I told her I didn't have anything for her so she went to find out what was going on. Later, she came back to me with some paperwork that needed to be invoiced.
I asked her, "Do you need me to enter that?" indicating the paperwork in her hand.
"No," she replied. "You just need to enter this," also indicating the paperwork in her hand.
Monday, April 16, 2007
moment of silence
I was just about to post yesterday. It was profound. It was witty. It was my finest work*...
Have I ever mentioned how clumsy I am? It will be on my yet-to-be-completed list of interesting (wierd) things about me. I'm clumsy. I consistently misjudge the height of car door frames, the distance between my body and a table, the length of my arms, the placement of items on the floor within toe-stubbing distance.
Amazingly (and this too should be on my yet-to-be-completed list) I've never broken a bone. Considering how truly clumsy I am, this is a minor miracle.
So, back to my post from yesterday that did not get posted:
I was sitting at my desk at home, composing the previously mentioned amazing post, when I set a glass of water down. I thought to myself "Be careful. Those particular glasses are somewhat unstable and you wouldn't want something bad to happen." (well, actually I thought to myself "hmm... watch it" and then was distracted by something shiny).
You can see where this is going, right?
No sooner had I set the glass down than I bumped the desk and it went flying. I grabbed my iBook and picked it up and unplugged it but it was too late.
It was all I could do to not cry/scream/throw up. I called a service place today and the prognosis, cost-wise, doesn't look good.
The worst part? Aside from not having my computer, not being able to google whatever strange things pop up at any given moment. Aside from not being able to email/MSN/lurk on various blogs. Aside from the sick feeling of having potentially destroyed data/photos on my computer. The worst part?
I have no one to blame but myself.
Ugh.
So, I'm posting from work. I'm trying to figure out when/how I can take poor poor computer in for assessment/repair. Not that it will make much noticeable difference in the regular appearance of posts here. ehem.
Wish me luck.
Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket... and put foam on all sharp corners around me.
*okay, so it was probably just a nothing post but work with me here. I'm grieving the loss of my computer. and feeling stupid. and poor. and stupid.
7:08 pm (MST)
Update: IT. IS. A. MIRACLE!!!
I spent most of my day fighting back the sinking feeling that comes from knowing that I will have to spend a large sum of money to fix something that needs fixing because I messed up. That's not a fun feeling. Sort of ranks up there with the feeling of needing a rootcanal... on ALL of your teeth.
Talking to the repair technician earlier in the day made me feel worse, since he said that the WORST thing I could have done was try to turn the computer back on after the water incident (well, it was after the water had drained off and the computer was mostly dry). All afternoon, I sort of had a running conversation with God, begging for my computer to work when I got home. It didn't work when I tried it a bunch of times last night, nor did it this morning when I left for work, so I figured I had nothing to lose when I got home, put the battery back in and plugged it in.
Well, sign me up for a Mac commercial: My computer "healed" itself. I'm writing this update on my formerly soaked iBook. Take THAT service tech with your scary proclamations of doom. Take THAT know-it-alls who laughed at me. Take THAT self for panicking and all the self-recrimination.
whew.
Now to set up the impenetrable moisture barriers around my desk.
Have I ever mentioned how clumsy I am? It will be on my yet-to-be-completed list of interesting (wierd) things about me. I'm clumsy. I consistently misjudge the height of car door frames, the distance between my body and a table, the length of my arms, the placement of items on the floor within toe-stubbing distance.
Amazingly (and this too should be on my yet-to-be-completed list) I've never broken a bone. Considering how truly clumsy I am, this is a minor miracle.
So, back to my post from yesterday that did not get posted:
I was sitting at my desk at home, composing the previously mentioned amazing post, when I set a glass of water down. I thought to myself "Be careful. Those particular glasses are somewhat unstable and you wouldn't want something bad to happen." (well, actually I thought to myself "hmm... watch it" and then was distracted by something shiny).
You can see where this is going, right?
No sooner had I set the glass down than I bumped the desk and it went flying. I grabbed my iBook and picked it up and unplugged it but it was too late.
It was all I could do to not cry/scream/throw up. I called a service place today and the prognosis, cost-wise, doesn't look good.
The worst part? Aside from not having my computer, not being able to google whatever strange things pop up at any given moment. Aside from not being able to email/MSN/lurk on various blogs. Aside from the sick feeling of having potentially destroyed data/photos on my computer. The worst part?
I have no one to blame but myself.
Ugh.
So, I'm posting from work. I'm trying to figure out when/how I can take poor poor computer in for assessment/repair. Not that it will make much noticeable difference in the regular appearance of posts here. ehem.
Wish me luck.
Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket... and put foam on all sharp corners around me.
*okay, so it was probably just a nothing post but work with me here. I'm grieving the loss of my computer. and feeling stupid. and poor. and stupid.
7:08 pm (MST)
Update: IT. IS. A. MIRACLE!!!
I spent most of my day fighting back the sinking feeling that comes from knowing that I will have to spend a large sum of money to fix something that needs fixing because I messed up. That's not a fun feeling. Sort of ranks up there with the feeling of needing a rootcanal... on ALL of your teeth.
Talking to the repair technician earlier in the day made me feel worse, since he said that the WORST thing I could have done was try to turn the computer back on after the water incident (well, it was after the water had drained off and the computer was mostly dry). All afternoon, I sort of had a running conversation with God, begging for my computer to work when I got home. It didn't work when I tried it a bunch of times last night, nor did it this morning when I left for work, so I figured I had nothing to lose when I got home, put the battery back in and plugged it in.
Well, sign me up for a Mac commercial: My computer "healed" itself. I'm writing this update on my formerly soaked iBook. Take THAT service tech with your scary proclamations of doom. Take THAT know-it-alls who laughed at me. Take THAT self for panicking and all the self-recrimination.
whew.
Now to set up the impenetrable moisture barriers around my desk.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Why?
*still not doing too good at the posting regularly thing. or at the grammar thing. sorry. for both.*
I wish I was faster with the camera function on my camera phone (phone camera?). I often see "interesting" things around me but never seem to a) remember I have a camera phone/phone camera; b) get to it quickly enough; c) get it to open the camera function, focus, take a picture fast enough.
Like today. I was driving back to work after lunch and was stuck at a light behind a woman in a small car. She had stuffed animals in the back window and something furry/stuffed hanging from the rearview mirror. Now, I have something hanging from my rearview mirror (a pendant I bought in Pakistan just before I moved back to Canada), so I get having something decorating your car. But I don't understand the stuffed animals in the back window. Are they there so you can have something to play with if you ever get stranded? Are they there to communicate with other drivers? "I'm cute!" or, alternately: "I'm somewhat eerily unstable! Don't tailgate!!"
As confused as the stuffed animals left me, they were not the most confusing part. This vehicle had Winnie the Pooh decals in the window. And, the part that pushed me over the top from mindlessly following along on the city street to contemplating the wording of this story for the next 10 hours before I finally sat down here to write it; the part that confused me the most? A Winnie the Pooh LICENSE PLATE HOLDER. ??
Now, I like children's cartoons as much as the next childless 36 year old woman, but, Come ON! I see women with cartoon characters on otherwise fairly normal items of clothing, or decorating their workspaces and I can't help but wonder what the men around them think of this behavior.
It should be noted that I'm not referring to an ironic use of cartoons or characters, nor am i referring to any cartoons aimed more at adults (Simpsons, Family Guy etc). It's the Winnie/Mickey/Tweety phenomenon.
Can anyone explain it?
Have I gone off on a rant?
Yes, yes I have.
If you, dear reader, are a cartoon character wearer/decorator, please forgive me my insensitivity. And explain it so I understand. Cause I really don't understand it. Really.
I wish I was faster with the camera function on my camera phone (phone camera?). I often see "interesting" things around me but never seem to a) remember I have a camera phone/phone camera; b) get to it quickly enough; c) get it to open the camera function, focus, take a picture fast enough.
Like today. I was driving back to work after lunch and was stuck at a light behind a woman in a small car. She had stuffed animals in the back window and something furry/stuffed hanging from the rearview mirror. Now, I have something hanging from my rearview mirror (a pendant I bought in Pakistan just before I moved back to Canada), so I get having something decorating your car. But I don't understand the stuffed animals in the back window. Are they there so you can have something to play with if you ever get stranded? Are they there to communicate with other drivers? "I'm cute!" or, alternately: "I'm somewhat eerily unstable! Don't tailgate!!"
As confused as the stuffed animals left me, they were not the most confusing part. This vehicle had Winnie the Pooh decals in the window. And, the part that pushed me over the top from mindlessly following along on the city street to contemplating the wording of this story for the next 10 hours before I finally sat down here to write it; the part that confused me the most? A Winnie the Pooh LICENSE PLATE HOLDER. ??
Now, I like children's cartoons as much as the next childless 36 year old woman, but, Come ON! I see women with cartoon characters on otherwise fairly normal items of clothing, or decorating their workspaces and I can't help but wonder what the men around them think of this behavior.
It should be noted that I'm not referring to an ironic use of cartoons or characters, nor am i referring to any cartoons aimed more at adults (Simpsons, Family Guy etc). It's the Winnie/Mickey/Tweety phenomenon.
Can anyone explain it?
Have I gone off on a rant?
Yes, yes I have.
If you, dear reader, are a cartoon character wearer/decorator, please forgive me my insensitivity. And explain it so I understand. Cause I really don't understand it. Really.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
spambook
I don't use a phone book anymore. Not the yellow pages, not the white pages. Not the trying-to-compete-with-the-official-phone-book book. If I need information or a phone number I find it online.
I have at least 5 or 6 old phone books taking up valuable real estate in my apartment right now* and someone just dumped another trying-to-compete-with-the-official-phone-book book outside my apartment door when I said I didn't want one.
It's like tangible spam. Well, not Spam, it's like the email type. But in book form.
At work this afternoon, a slightly twitchy delivery guy foisted a dozen trying-to-compete-with-the-official-phone-book books on us, even though we said we didn't need/want them.
Then, he said to me "And, I have something special for you."
I oh-so-subtly backed even further behind my desk as he reached into what appeared to be the back of his pants. With a flourish he presented me with a CD in a cardboard mailer. "The whole book on disk" he bragged as he walked out the door, ignoring the WTF expression on my face.
I looked at the disk. It reads: "search online at ____.ca". Well, if i can search your directory ON LINE on my COMPUTER why would I need a CD version of it?
I'm going to spend the rest of my afternoon coming up with a craft to do with the CD. I want to stick it in the microwave to make it crackle and split, but that may raise more eyebrows in the office than I'm comfortable with.
*I plan to take the old phone books to the recycling place, but i just keep forgetting**
**yes, for 4 years now i keep forgetting. This should tell you something about me and procrastinating.
***sorry it's been 2 months. I have written several dozen hilarious posts in my head and just never get them OUT here. I'll be back soon.
I have at least 5 or 6 old phone books taking up valuable real estate in my apartment right now* and someone just dumped another trying-to-compete-with-the-official-phone-book book outside my apartment door when I said I didn't want one.
It's like tangible spam. Well, not Spam, it's like the email type. But in book form.
At work this afternoon, a slightly twitchy delivery guy foisted a dozen trying-to-compete-with-the-official-phone-book books on us, even though we said we didn't need/want them.
Then, he said to me "And, I have something special for you."
I oh-so-subtly backed even further behind my desk as he reached into what appeared to be the back of his pants. With a flourish he presented me with a CD in a cardboard mailer. "The whole book on disk" he bragged as he walked out the door, ignoring the WTF expression on my face.
I looked at the disk. It reads: "search online at ____.ca". Well, if i can search your directory ON LINE on my COMPUTER why would I need a CD version of it?
I'm going to spend the rest of my afternoon coming up with a craft to do with the CD. I want to stick it in the microwave to make it crackle and split, but that may raise more eyebrows in the office than I'm comfortable with.
*I plan to take the old phone books to the recycling place, but i just keep forgetting**
**yes, for 4 years now i keep forgetting. This should tell you something about me and procrastinating.
***sorry it's been 2 months. I have written several dozen hilarious posts in my head and just never get them OUT here. I'll be back soon.
Friday, February 02, 2007
reason why
People used to ask me why I wasn't married, why I didn't have a boyfriend etc. They don't much anymore. (Not sure why that is. Maybe they think I'm single by choice, or that I'm terribly picky, or maybe there is some reason that is glaringly obvious that no one has pointed out to me--because they think it is glaringly obvious). Anyway, the point being, I'm glad that I don't get asked anymore because that was a massive pain in the ass but at the same time, not ever being asked anymore makes me wonder if people have just given up hope for me and are prepared for my spinster-hood (not to mention the fact that I now own a spinning wheel. So I really am a spinster. Both kinds.)
I used to try to come up with the BEST response to the question. The response that would set people in their place and let them know how rude it was to ask and how unbothered I was (whether or not that was true) by the situation. It was quite amusing to think of answers but I never used any of them. (I tend to back down when faced with a situation to put someone in their place)(most of the time).
I spent time trying to think of answers because the true reason only would have led to awkward pity and a sudden urge to change the subject and/or flee. The true reason is that I never had much chance to change my "status" in this area. I've had lots of guy friends in my life and the occasional guy who was "interested" in me but these situations never led to anything more.
The guys who were "interested" generally quickly lost interest after either:
a)10 days or b) 2 dates, which ever came first. Almost without exception those guys used some variation of one of the following to indicate their desire to flee the scene:
1. "We can still be friends"
2. "I think we should spend more time with our own friends"
3. They would employ the tried and tested "avoid her until she gets the hint" maneuver.
Also almost without exception, these guys ended up either getting back together with an ex or meeting someone else within a couple of weeks and most of them ended up marrying that person. In one case, the guy met his next girlfriend WHILE he and I were on a date. That was fun.
Of the guy friends that I've had, once in a while, one of them would turn into a slightly-more-than-just-a-buddy type friend. There might be a bit of flirting, or other non-buddy type behavior. Increased contact, more time spent together etc. Then, just when the girl part of my brain starts to think "huh. This is new. Maybe I AM interested in him." one of the following happens:
1. The guy friend declares his interest/affection/undying love for my close girl friend. He asks for my assistance in wooing her.
2. He starts dating someone and stops talking to me altogether
3. The topic of whether there would ever be something more comes up or is suggested by an outside person and the guy-friend's response is a horrified "Oh God NO! Never!" after which I am relegated to the former friend pile and left to deal with the loss of a friend AND the fact that I had become interested in him.
Other than the 2 types of male interaction above, I've been hit on by married guys, by guys who are 12 or more years younger than me, by really annoying guys who have very little sense of personal hygene... Maybe I should be studied by a team of scientists for my amazing powers of both attracting unsuitable types and repelling any potential interests. I wonder what that would pay?
So, that, is why I am single. And why I just avoided the question whenever I was asked. And why I'm glad it's no longer being asked.
(sorry. this wasn't funny either. I'll work on that)
I used to try to come up with the BEST response to the question. The response that would set people in their place and let them know how rude it was to ask and how unbothered I was (whether or not that was true) by the situation. It was quite amusing to think of answers but I never used any of them. (I tend to back down when faced with a situation to put someone in their place)(most of the time).
I spent time trying to think of answers because the true reason only would have led to awkward pity and a sudden urge to change the subject and/or flee. The true reason is that I never had much chance to change my "status" in this area. I've had lots of guy friends in my life and the occasional guy who was "interested" in me but these situations never led to anything more.
The guys who were "interested" generally quickly lost interest after either:
a)10 days or b) 2 dates, which ever came first. Almost without exception those guys used some variation of one of the following to indicate their desire to flee the scene:
1. "We can still be friends"
2. "I think we should spend more time with our own friends"
3. They would employ the tried and tested "avoid her until she gets the hint" maneuver.
Also almost without exception, these guys ended up either getting back together with an ex or meeting someone else within a couple of weeks and most of them ended up marrying that person. In one case, the guy met his next girlfriend WHILE he and I were on a date. That was fun.
Of the guy friends that I've had, once in a while, one of them would turn into a slightly-more-than-just-a-buddy type friend. There might be a bit of flirting, or other non-buddy type behavior. Increased contact, more time spent together etc. Then, just when the girl part of my brain starts to think "huh. This is new. Maybe I AM interested in him." one of the following happens:
1. The guy friend declares his interest/affection/undying love for my close girl friend. He asks for my assistance in wooing her.
2. He starts dating someone and stops talking to me altogether
3. The topic of whether there would ever be something more comes up or is suggested by an outside person and the guy-friend's response is a horrified "Oh God NO! Never!" after which I am relegated to the former friend pile and left to deal with the loss of a friend AND the fact that I had become interested in him.
Other than the 2 types of male interaction above, I've been hit on by married guys, by guys who are 12 or more years younger than me, by really annoying guys who have very little sense of personal hygene... Maybe I should be studied by a team of scientists for my amazing powers of both attracting unsuitable types and repelling any potential interests. I wonder what that would pay?
So, that, is why I am single. And why I just avoided the question whenever I was asked. And why I'm glad it's no longer being asked.
(sorry. this wasn't funny either. I'll work on that)
Thursday, February 01, 2007
My dad
(I haven't posted in so so so long. I keep composing posts in my head but not actually posting them. I've been trying to come up with 5 interesting things for the meme Antonia tagged me with, but I can't think of 5 things period, let alone 5 interesting things. I'll work on it)
Four years ago today (Feb. 1) my dad died. I wrote about him on his birthday a couple of years ago (here) and I wanted to share it here today.
I miss him still, although I realized recently that it's been easier as the days and years go by. Today I was a little bit weepy and emotional but mostly I was able to remember happy things about my dad. I hope that as time goes by I will be able to keep all those happy, funny memories and let the memories of his last days slide from the forefront.
(I'll try to be funny next time. Or at least not so sedate.)
Four years ago today (Feb. 1) my dad died. I wrote about him on his birthday a couple of years ago (here) and I wanted to share it here today.
I miss him still, although I realized recently that it's been easier as the days and years go by. Today I was a little bit weepy and emotional but mostly I was able to remember happy things about my dad. I hope that as time goes by I will be able to keep all those happy, funny memories and let the memories of his last days slide from the forefront.
(I'll try to be funny next time. Or at least not so sedate.)
Sunday, January 07, 2007
I resolve (pt.2)
I found this random resolution generator by way of (someone's) blog. I decided to keep hitting refresh and come up with a workable list of resolutions. I think I can live with these. (these are the first 10 that I was presented with. I think they're better than my REAL resolutions)
1.
I'm not sure why I didn't think of this one myself.
2.
All I have to do is pick the lucky person.
3.
um. hmm... well... um... ehem...
4.
This could be interesting. I'll have to brainstorm methods.
5.
No problem. I used to live in Pakistan after all. I wonder if I could use this one to negotiate when I acheive #4?
6.
NO. PROBLEM. (wink)
7.
This could create some interesting situations. Especially if I follow through on #3.
8.
NO. PROBLEM. The new season of 24 starts next week. This will dovetail nicely with #1.
9.
Well, it has been a long time coming. Maybe THIS is how I can make the FBI's most wanted list!
10.
My what now?
1.
|
I'm not sure why I didn't think of this one myself.
2.
|
All I have to do is pick the lucky person.
3.
|
um. hmm... well... um... ehem...
4.
|
This could be interesting. I'll have to brainstorm methods.
5.
|
No problem. I used to live in Pakistan after all. I wonder if I could use this one to negotiate when I acheive #4?
6.
|
NO. PROBLEM. (wink)
7.
|
This could create some interesting situations. Especially if I follow through on #3.
8.
|
NO. PROBLEM. The new season of 24 starts next week. This will dovetail nicely with #1.
9.
|
Well, it has been a long time coming. Maybe THIS is how I can make the FBI's most wanted list!
10.
|
My what now?
a list! with sub points and sub sub points! and no real POINT!
1. New Mattress=first really good night(s) sleep I've had in years. Who knew that crappy thin mattresses where you can actually feel the springs through the surface of the mattress would not be conducive to good sleep? Huh. Interesting.
2. The parade of sick people (FLU!) at work that began mid-December continues still.
2. a. Each and every sick person at work was met, by myself & my coworker sitting at the front desk with the following statement: "Why are you here? Go home! You're sick!"
2. b. Having successfully avoided the first 2 or 3 waves of the flu (Yay Cold FX!!) it seems to have tracked me down finally. I'b sick. hack hack
2. c. I went in to work on Friday, feeling like I had been run over by a truck of some sort.
2. c. i. I went to work because I'm still new there and I don't know what the sick day policy is and somewhere in the back of my head is this belief that if I just call in they may not believe me and it will look bad and they will be disappointed in me.
2. c. ii. My coworker (who is still sitting at the front desk with me*) said "You shouldn't have come in" and sent me home at 10 am.
3. I have a slightly over-active "I don't want to disappoint (person who will be disappointed) so I'll just (do thing that I shouldn't/can't/don't want to do) so they won't be disappointed" gene. (also a slightly over-active obtuse sentence structure gene)
3. a. My friend (my closest friend) is moving today and I had told her that I would help if I wasn't too sick. She knows that I'm sick. She told me yesterday that she understands if I'm not able to make it and that more than help she really just wanted company. She understands, I know that.
3. a. i. I feel horrible as though I have deeply disappointed her.
3. a. ii. It's possible I should just get some more Tylenol and go to sleep.
*The 2 girls who have been sitting at the desk with me (there are 2 work stations at the reception desk) "training me" didn't ever say how long they planned to sit there. I had thought a week, then they were still there so I thought, oh, okay. 2 weeks. Still there. Finally they said that because of all of the horrendous experiences** with the previous 3 or 4 employees at that desk, they had decided before I was hired that for the next one, 3 MONTHS. MONTHS. I'm the receptionist. I need to deal with the phones, and with processing walk in orders and invoicing service repair bills. Thankfully, they have since reconsidered and they had said that I would be on my own after Christmas. Well, I wasn't on my own last week. Hopefully this coming week I will be. I'm trying to not feel insulted by this, I mean, I've been doing reception type work for about 15 years off and on, and I've been doing industry-specific order desk and invoicing for over 2 years. I think I can handle it.
That said, I really like the 2 girls I work with***, I just can't deal with having someone sitting behind me ALL. DAY. LONG. (plus, the one who is there most frequently narrates her day to herself all day long.)(yeah.)
**I never met any of the previous employees who had my job, but one of them, apparently, would sleep at her desk. When I first heard this, I thought they meant "when it was slow and there was no one in the reception area". Apparently, it was any time of day, while there were customers coming and going, and while the girl training her was still sitting at the other work station.
***Sadly, not a muffin-top to be found. I need to find some other sort of coworker stories to tell.
2. The parade of sick people (FLU!) at work that began mid-December continues still.
2. a. Each and every sick person at work was met, by myself & my coworker sitting at the front desk with the following statement: "Why are you here? Go home! You're sick!"
2. b. Having successfully avoided the first 2 or 3 waves of the flu (Yay Cold FX!!) it seems to have tracked me down finally. I'b sick. hack hack
2. c. I went in to work on Friday, feeling like I had been run over by a truck of some sort.
2. c. i. I went to work because I'm still new there and I don't know what the sick day policy is and somewhere in the back of my head is this belief that if I just call in they may not believe me and it will look bad and they will be disappointed in me.
2. c. ii. My coworker (who is still sitting at the front desk with me*) said "You shouldn't have come in" and sent me home at 10 am.
3. I have a slightly over-active "I don't want to disappoint (person who will be disappointed) so I'll just (do thing that I shouldn't/can't/don't want to do) so they won't be disappointed" gene. (also a slightly over-active obtuse sentence structure gene)
3. a. My friend (my closest friend) is moving today and I had told her that I would help if I wasn't too sick. She knows that I'm sick. She told me yesterday that she understands if I'm not able to make it and that more than help she really just wanted company. She understands, I know that.
3. a. i. I feel horrible as though I have deeply disappointed her.
3. a. ii. It's possible I should just get some more Tylenol and go to sleep.
*The 2 girls who have been sitting at the desk with me (there are 2 work stations at the reception desk) "training me" didn't ever say how long they planned to sit there. I had thought a week, then they were still there so I thought, oh, okay. 2 weeks. Still there. Finally they said that because of all of the horrendous experiences** with the previous 3 or 4 employees at that desk, they had decided before I was hired that for the next one, 3 MONTHS. MONTHS. I'm the receptionist. I need to deal with the phones, and with processing walk in orders and invoicing service repair bills. Thankfully, they have since reconsidered and they had said that I would be on my own after Christmas. Well, I wasn't on my own last week. Hopefully this coming week I will be. I'm trying to not feel insulted by this, I mean, I've been doing reception type work for about 15 years off and on, and I've been doing industry-specific order desk and invoicing for over 2 years. I think I can handle it.
That said, I really like the 2 girls I work with***, I just can't deal with having someone sitting behind me ALL. DAY. LONG. (plus, the one who is there most frequently narrates her day to herself all day long.)(yeah.)
**I never met any of the previous employees who had my job, but one of them, apparently, would sleep at her desk. When I first heard this, I thought they meant "when it was slow and there was no one in the reception area". Apparently, it was any time of day, while there were customers coming and going, and while the girl training her was still sitting at the other work station.
***Sadly, not a muffin-top to be found. I need to find some other sort of coworker stories to tell.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Happy New Year!
I just realized it's been a full month since I last posted. Wow. Well, I promise to get back into posting more frequently, but I just wanted to do a New Year's post.
(quick aside: I didn't ever say anything about the new job, so I'll do a real post about it sometime soon. I like it, the people are fun for the most part and I think in the end it was the right choice over all. More on that another time)
I was going to post last night, but, as it turns out, I was in the midst of a somewhat "single-still-yet-again-at-New-Year's" mope, so, I decided to spare you all that agony. I decided instead that I need to figure out what I want to try to do to change the mope part (since the cynical side of me doesn't have high hopes about the "single still" part)(sorry, that was slightly "mope-ish").
So, I started mentally listing things. I do love lists, as you may have noticed. I don't know if these are proper resolutions or not, but they are things I think I need to do something about. (I think "improve overall grammar usage" should be on that list)
(before I start, I just have to say this: I think that almost any time in the past year that I have truly been in a "wah poor me all alone" mope phase, Bridget Jones' Diary is on TV somewhere, either that day or the day after. How is that possible? I always end up watching at least part of it, and always end up laughing, cheered up but also wishing that, just once, someone would like ME "just as i am". sigh.)(it's on right now)(sigh)
Okay then, on to the not-really-resolutions-list:
1. I tend to be far too hermit like, and the more hermit-like I am the harder it is to get out and do things. So, I want to do new things, even by myself. I will try to find things to do that will get me out of the house now and then.
2. I am terrible at keeping in touch with people, even people in the city. I tend to not call if I don't have anything specific to say because I don't want to bother people who probably have more stuff going on than I do. So, I will call people I know more regularly, even when I don’t have anything specific to say.
3. I have started to realize that I have gotten so used to always being home by myself that when someone actually wants to spend time with me, I am mentally deciding if it's worth giving up whatever I had planned to do at home. (i.e. knitting/spinning/tv) So, I will stop planning my evenings alone in such a way that I consider the evenings plans mentally before accepting offers of something to do.
4. I will watch "24". (I wanted at least ONE thing on the list that i will GLADLY and EASILY do.)(I planned to do this one anyway)
5. I will make an effort to speak to people and moderate how rambling/blabby I get when and if I do speak to people (side-effect of the shyness is that I get overly chatty and can't seem to turn it off. whee)
6. I will write (here? anywhere?) at least 3 times a week.
7. I will look into the possibility of pursuing my master's. eventually. (eventually pursue, not eventually look into it.)
8. I will make more of an effort to maintain a presence in my nieces and nephews' lives, not just at holidays.
9. Make a decision about (situation I can't/won't spell out here) I wasn't going to do this, because why include it on this list if I'm not going to spell it out since I can't give details here for a whole bunch of reasons, but I can't stand a list with a strange number of items. It needs to be a good round number. sorry.
10. Add one more day per week on the bike OR add 10 more minutes each day that I do ride the bike. One of the two.
So, there you have it. A list. With 10 items. Sort of resolutions, sort of just things I've been thinking about for a month or two (or 6 as the case may be).
Hope the New Year started well for all of you. Thanks for piping up from time to time to let me know you're here. Here's to a super interesting 2007!
(quick aside: I didn't ever say anything about the new job, so I'll do a real post about it sometime soon. I like it, the people are fun for the most part and I think in the end it was the right choice over all. More on that another time)
I was going to post last night, but, as it turns out, I was in the midst of a somewhat "single-still-yet-again-at-New-Year's" mope, so, I decided to spare you all that agony. I decided instead that I need to figure out what I want to try to do to change the mope part (since the cynical side of me doesn't have high hopes about the "single still" part)(sorry, that was slightly "mope-ish").
So, I started mentally listing things. I do love lists, as you may have noticed. I don't know if these are proper resolutions or not, but they are things I think I need to do something about. (I think "improve overall grammar usage" should be on that list)
(before I start, I just have to say this: I think that almost any time in the past year that I have truly been in a "wah poor me all alone" mope phase, Bridget Jones' Diary is on TV somewhere, either that day or the day after. How is that possible? I always end up watching at least part of it, and always end up laughing, cheered up but also wishing that, just once, someone would like ME "just as i am". sigh.)(it's on right now)(sigh)
Okay then, on to the not-really-resolutions-list:
1. I tend to be far too hermit like, and the more hermit-like I am the harder it is to get out and do things. So, I want to do new things, even by myself. I will try to find things to do that will get me out of the house now and then.
2. I am terrible at keeping in touch with people, even people in the city. I tend to not call if I don't have anything specific to say because I don't want to bother people who probably have more stuff going on than I do. So, I will call people I know more regularly, even when I don’t have anything specific to say.
3. I have started to realize that I have gotten so used to always being home by myself that when someone actually wants to spend time with me, I am mentally deciding if it's worth giving up whatever I had planned to do at home. (i.e. knitting/spinning/tv) So, I will stop planning my evenings alone in such a way that I consider the evenings plans mentally before accepting offers of something to do.
4. I will watch "24". (I wanted at least ONE thing on the list that i will GLADLY and EASILY do.)(I planned to do this one anyway)
5. I will make an effort to speak to people and moderate how rambling/blabby I get when and if I do speak to people (side-effect of the shyness is that I get overly chatty and can't seem to turn it off. whee)
6. I will write (here? anywhere?) at least 3 times a week.
7. I will look into the possibility of pursuing my master's. eventually. (eventually pursue, not eventually look into it.)
8. I will make more of an effort to maintain a presence in my nieces and nephews' lives, not just at holidays.
9. Make a decision about (situation I can't/won't spell out here) I wasn't going to do this, because why include it on this list if I'm not going to spell it out since I can't give details here for a whole bunch of reasons, but I can't stand a list with a strange number of items. It needs to be a good round number. sorry.
10. Add one more day per week on the bike OR add 10 more minutes each day that I do ride the bike. One of the two.
So, there you have it. A list. With 10 items. Sort of resolutions, sort of just things I've been thinking about for a month or two (or 6 as the case may be).
Hope the New Year started well for all of you. Thanks for piping up from time to time to let me know you're here. Here's to a super interesting 2007!
Friday, December 01, 2006
Who needs online dating services? I have a 7 year old niece...
My older brother, his wife and their three kids are in Calgary this weekend for a dog show (they are showing their Newfoundland, Joy, who is so so so cute and also huge but mostly adorable)
I see this brother and his family whenever I go home to my Mom's, but they've never been able to make it to visit me here, so it was nice today to have a chance to spend time with them all. All of my nephews and nieces* make me laugh harder than anyone else I know.
I went to the show this afternoon, watched them show Joy, and ended up with all three kids for the remainder of the afternoon. The kids are 12, 7 and 5, so entertaining them is a challenge. We settled on a DVD, which is a pretty common denominator for the three.
As it turns out, while I enjoyed spending time with them and they with me, my one bedroom apartment is not all that kid-friendly. Or, more accurately, not all that kid-interesting. The youngest, within seconds of walking through the door was asking where I kept all the toys. I had made them hot chocolate but I don't have a table per se. Then the middle one ate an entire box of Junior Caramels when I wasn't paying close enough attention (key quote: "You didn't tell me not to eat them all")(great moments in auntie-dom)
We went to meet up with my brother and his wife for supper, where I was treated to several awesome moments.
1. My brother and sister-in-law will probably never need to worry that their kids are keeping secrets from them. We hadn't even gotten through the door at the hotel and the kids had spilled it all: the whole box of caramels, the trick I played on them with how far it was to my house, the youngest almost getting hit by a car (oh, yeah, another great moment in auntie-dom)(I'll be surprised if they let me near the kids tomorrow), how they were fighting
2. My youngest nephew, the 5 year old, astonished me with his vocabulary when he used the word "devastating" in a sentence. (He used it incorrectly if we're going to be nit-picky about it, but where does a 5 year old learn the word "devastating"?)
And, my favorite of all, a two-parter:
3 a) when I said that my apartment isn't entirely "kid-friendly" when talking to my brother and his wife, the middle came up with the opinion that it was because I don't have kids. Then the youngest piped up with "it's because you're not pregant yet!" (seriously, what is he learning in Kindergarten?)
3 b) moments after that revelation, the middle one started grilling me about whether I would ever want to be married.
I said "Yes, one day, I would like to be married." and we all laughed.
"Well," she asked, "Like soon? Like this year?"
I wondered where she was going with this when she continued. "Rayna and me have always wanted to be cousins."
Now, the kid can pull a non sequitor like nobody's business, so i didn't immediately try to make the connection. But when she continued, it all came together for me:
"She has an uncle. I don't think HE'S married either. AND he lives in Calgary!"
My entire family: matchmakers**.
*(well, other than the brand new niece, I haven't met her yet. I'm expecting great things from her but I'll give her a little time to grow into her sense of humor. Or, you know, to be able to hold her head up.)
**(none of them has ever actually gone so far as to actually set me up with anyone, mind you, just that they all want to "hint" about various single men of their aquaintence)
I see this brother and his family whenever I go home to my Mom's, but they've never been able to make it to visit me here, so it was nice today to have a chance to spend time with them all. All of my nephews and nieces* make me laugh harder than anyone else I know.
I went to the show this afternoon, watched them show Joy, and ended up with all three kids for the remainder of the afternoon. The kids are 12, 7 and 5, so entertaining them is a challenge. We settled on a DVD, which is a pretty common denominator for the three.
As it turns out, while I enjoyed spending time with them and they with me, my one bedroom apartment is not all that kid-friendly. Or, more accurately, not all that kid-interesting. The youngest, within seconds of walking through the door was asking where I kept all the toys. I had made them hot chocolate but I don't have a table per se. Then the middle one ate an entire box of Junior Caramels when I wasn't paying close enough attention (key quote: "You didn't tell me not to eat them all")(great moments in auntie-dom)
We went to meet up with my brother and his wife for supper, where I was treated to several awesome moments.
1. My brother and sister-in-law will probably never need to worry that their kids are keeping secrets from them. We hadn't even gotten through the door at the hotel and the kids had spilled it all: the whole box of caramels, the trick I played on them with how far it was to my house, the youngest almost getting hit by a car (oh, yeah, another great moment in auntie-dom)(I'll be surprised if they let me near the kids tomorrow), how they were fighting
2. My youngest nephew, the 5 year old, astonished me with his vocabulary when he used the word "devastating" in a sentence. (He used it incorrectly if we're going to be nit-picky about it, but where does a 5 year old learn the word "devastating"?)
And, my favorite of all, a two-parter:
3 a) when I said that my apartment isn't entirely "kid-friendly" when talking to my brother and his wife, the middle came up with the opinion that it was because I don't have kids. Then the youngest piped up with "it's because you're not pregant yet!" (seriously, what is he learning in Kindergarten?)
3 b) moments after that revelation, the middle one started grilling me about whether I would ever want to be married.
I said "Yes, one day, I would like to be married." and we all laughed.
"Well," she asked, "Like soon? Like this year?"
I wondered where she was going with this when she continued. "Rayna and me have always wanted to be cousins."
Now, the kid can pull a non sequitor like nobody's business, so i didn't immediately try to make the connection. But when she continued, it all came together for me:
"She has an uncle. I don't think HE'S married either. AND he lives in Calgary!"
My entire family: matchmakers**.
*(well, other than the brand new niece, I haven't met her yet. I'm expecting great things from her but I'll give her a little time to grow into her sense of humor. Or, you know, to be able to hold her head up.)
**(none of them has ever actually gone so far as to actually set me up with anyone, mind you, just that they all want to "hint" about various single men of their aquaintence)
Sunday, November 26, 2006
*sob*
DAMN HALLMARK HALL OF FAME!! WHY did I WATCH? It's only 45 minutes in and I'm sobbing already from the Hallmark commercial with the girl at her parents house for her birthday and the mom tells her the card is from both of them and she doesn't believe her mom and the girl starts to read it and the dad comes around the corner...
WHY did I watch?
A friend of mine says that everyone has one movie that they love that they would never tell anyone about. For me, it's not one movie, it's one genre. I rarely let anyone know that I get sucked into these TV movies all the time. (Also, Hugh Grant movies, but that's not AS embarassing). These Hallmark Hall of Fame ones are the worst! The commercials are mostly Hallmark commercials and they are ALL meant to make me cry. Weep even.
Stupid Hallmark and their heart warming commercials and made-for-TV movies. That little boy didn't know what Christmas was all about until he took his mother's Christmas card to that scary old lady. *sob* And that dad didn't know how to communicate his love to his daughter. *weep*
I better go. There's another hour left in the movie.
WHY did I watch?
A friend of mine says that everyone has one movie that they love that they would never tell anyone about. For me, it's not one movie, it's one genre. I rarely let anyone know that I get sucked into these TV movies all the time. (Also, Hugh Grant movies, but that's not AS embarassing). These Hallmark Hall of Fame ones are the worst! The commercials are mostly Hallmark commercials and they are ALL meant to make me cry. Weep even.
Stupid Hallmark and their heart warming commercials and made-for-TV movies. That little boy didn't know what Christmas was all about until he took his mother's Christmas card to that scary old lady. *sob* And that dad didn't know how to communicate his love to his daughter. *weep*
I better go. There's another hour left in the movie.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Good News/Bad News
Friday was like one long Good News/Bad News joke.
Good News: I woke up feeling rested and happy that it was Friday
Bad News: It was -15 (Celsius) and was supposed to drop to below -20 by afternoon.
Good News: I got an early start on my way to work
Bad News: Deerfoot was backed up and I still ended up being late
Good News: The day was quiet in the morning
Bad News: The day suddenly got crazy busy after lunch
Good News: My manager suddenly (at 4:45 pm) told me that I didn’t have to come in on Monday and Tuesday and that they would pay me for those days.
Bad News: He sat and watched me finish up as though he expected me to sabotage something or steal something.
Good News: It was my last time having to spend upwards of 20 minutes each way on Deerfoot just to get to and from work.
Bad News: I got rear-ended on my way home.
Seriously. I got rear-ended. About 5 minutes into my drive, traffic suddenly was stacked up. I came to a complete stop, as did the 1000s of other drivers on the road. Except the guy behind me. Who did not stop. Well, he didn't stop until he hit me.
My head whipped forward, along with every item in my car, and then whipped back (or it may have been the other way around. I wasn’t really paying attention to the sequence of my head whipping around). I sat, stunned, for a few minutes, realizing “That actually happened!?” and realized that my neck hurt. And my head really hurt. And my back hurt.
I finally pulled over onto the shoulder (luckily I was in an outside lane) and slowly got out. I expected the whole back end to be smashed in. I thought I had heard glass breaking at the point of impact. Amazingly (to me anyway) there was no real damage to my car.
The other driver pulled up behind me. I won’t go into the whole thing here because, frankly I don’t have a lot of kind words for him. Let’s just say he is new to Calgary (and probably to Canada), he didn’t want to give me his insurance information, and his wife kept telling me “Oh, you’re fine! Your car is fine! It’s no problem.” Um. Excuse me lady but shut it. You are not a mechanic nor are you a doctor so shut it. I nearly lost it when the driver started telling me that he had skidded “on all the gravel”. (There was no gravel on the road, nor was it icy)
I’ve been driving Deerfoot every work day both directions for 2 years and have never had even a real close call. I’ve had to stop suddenly and nearly got sideswiped a couple of times, but nothing really had ever happened. After I stopped being freaked out I just kept thinking: “This was the LAST time!! My LAST Deerfoot commute!!”
So, overall, a very strange last day at work. Especially since none of my coworkers know that it was my last day. The managers at that place do strange things and have this wierd secrecy thing. And, also, my manager suddenly realized on Friday that I would be gone a few days before they had to do inventory. (Ask me how disappointed I am about that)(haha)
At least today has been good news.
This morning, I was looking at the phone at about 10:30 my time, thinking about calling my mom. Then, I thought “Well, Keri will be having the baby today so Mom won’t be home.” My mom was on constant watch to be on the road immediately when my sister, Keri, went into labor, but I hadn't talked to either of them for several days. Initially my sister’s due date was November 26th. Then they changed it to Dec. 5.
At about 3 in the afternoon my sister-in-law called to tell me that they had just heard that my sister had the baby. Guess what time she had the baby. Go on. Guess.
At about 10:30 am my time.
(Spooky, huh?)
So, I will be relaxing* this coming week. I start at the new job on December 4. I'm looking forward to it, especially considering the way the Cool Kids were acting this week. (Whew am I glad to be done with them!) I plan to spend my week working on Christmas presents that I am knitting and I'm hoping to brave the mall one morning. I may be delusional, but it seems to me that a weekday morning will be much less crowded than an evening or a weekend.
*This is what the week's forecast looks like (these are in Celsius):
See that? This is a pretty normal Calgary forecast. Monday and Tuesday (when I can stay home and warm!) the weather is "Sweet Fancy Moses! I can't feel my nose!" then by Friday (when my niece wants me to take her to the zoo!) it's "Where are my shorts?"
Good News: I woke up feeling rested and happy that it was Friday
Bad News: It was -15 (Celsius) and was supposed to drop to below -20 by afternoon.
Good News: I got an early start on my way to work
Bad News: Deerfoot was backed up and I still ended up being late
Good News: The day was quiet in the morning
Bad News: The day suddenly got crazy busy after lunch
Good News: My manager suddenly (at 4:45 pm) told me that I didn’t have to come in on Monday and Tuesday and that they would pay me for those days.
Bad News: He sat and watched me finish up as though he expected me to sabotage something or steal something.
Good News: It was my last time having to spend upwards of 20 minutes each way on Deerfoot just to get to and from work.
Bad News: I got rear-ended on my way home.
Seriously. I got rear-ended. About 5 minutes into my drive, traffic suddenly was stacked up. I came to a complete stop, as did the 1000s of other drivers on the road. Except the guy behind me. Who did not stop. Well, he didn't stop until he hit me.
My head whipped forward, along with every item in my car, and then whipped back (or it may have been the other way around. I wasn’t really paying attention to the sequence of my head whipping around). I sat, stunned, for a few minutes, realizing “That actually happened!?” and realized that my neck hurt. And my head really hurt. And my back hurt.
I finally pulled over onto the shoulder (luckily I was in an outside lane) and slowly got out. I expected the whole back end to be smashed in. I thought I had heard glass breaking at the point of impact. Amazingly (to me anyway) there was no real damage to my car.
The other driver pulled up behind me. I won’t go into the whole thing here because, frankly I don’t have a lot of kind words for him. Let’s just say he is new to Calgary (and probably to Canada), he didn’t want to give me his insurance information, and his wife kept telling me “Oh, you’re fine! Your car is fine! It’s no problem.” Um. Excuse me lady but shut it. You are not a mechanic nor are you a doctor so shut it. I nearly lost it when the driver started telling me that he had skidded “on all the gravel”. (There was no gravel on the road, nor was it icy)
I’ve been driving Deerfoot every work day both directions for 2 years and have never had even a real close call. I’ve had to stop suddenly and nearly got sideswiped a couple of times, but nothing really had ever happened. After I stopped being freaked out I just kept thinking: “This was the LAST time!! My LAST Deerfoot commute!!”
So, overall, a very strange last day at work. Especially since none of my coworkers know that it was my last day. The managers at that place do strange things and have this wierd secrecy thing. And, also, my manager suddenly realized on Friday that I would be gone a few days before they had to do inventory. (Ask me how disappointed I am about that)(haha)
At least today has been good news.
This morning, I was looking at the phone at about 10:30 my time, thinking about calling my mom. Then, I thought “Well, Keri will be having the baby today so Mom won’t be home.” My mom was on constant watch to be on the road immediately when my sister, Keri, went into labor, but I hadn't talked to either of them for several days. Initially my sister’s due date was November 26th. Then they changed it to Dec. 5.
At about 3 in the afternoon my sister-in-law called to tell me that they had just heard that my sister had the baby. Guess what time she had the baby. Go on. Guess.
At about 10:30 am my time.
(Spooky, huh?)
So, I will be relaxing* this coming week. I start at the new job on December 4. I'm looking forward to it, especially considering the way the Cool Kids were acting this week. (Whew am I glad to be done with them!) I plan to spend my week working on Christmas presents that I am knitting and I'm hoping to brave the mall one morning. I may be delusional, but it seems to me that a weekday morning will be much less crowded than an evening or a weekend.
*This is what the week's forecast looks like (these are in Celsius):
See that? This is a pretty normal Calgary forecast. Monday and Tuesday (when I can stay home and warm!) the weather is "Sweet Fancy Moses! I can't feel my nose!" then by Friday (when my niece wants me to take her to the zoo!) it's "Where are my shorts?"
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Je m'amuse
Take This Job and Shove It Countdown: 5 (well, 4 1/2 now) days remaining!!
Add to the fact that I'm feeling slightly bitter and/or cynical about my current employer and about the fact that the owner of this company asked me to "keep it secret" until Monday (for who knows what reason, really.), I'm bored. We have been very slow for a week or so now. I'm trying to get things cleaned up as much as possible for my replacement and training him as things come up but, there's only so much a person can do.
So, I've been amusing myself. While I've been keeping on top of the work that needs doing, I've tested my hand/eye coordination and practiced parking. I studied Miss Swan videos in order to perfect my imitation. I may have watched some Stuart videos as well. (I have come to the belief that a well-timed, unexpected Stuart imitation will make almost anyone laugh so hard they turn bright red and stop breathing.)
So far today, in addition to some mundane paperwork, I've talked to my sister and a friend online, I've contemplated RSVPing that I will be attending the company Christmas party. It's 3 days after my last day, but, since I'm supposed to keep it a secret, they don't know that. I've made mental lists of what I will do with my days off after my last day here and before my first day at the new job (hints: sleeping, watching daytime tv, knitting). Blog reading takes up some time, as does random link-following.
So, now, I'm trying to come up with other ways to amuse myself while keeping up with the little bits of work that need doing. Ideas? I want something that will cause people to wonder what the hell I'm doing (but since the cool kids don't talk to me no one will actually ask). I'm thinking about making a big countdown calendar for my desk. Or sending myself "Congratulations on your new job" flowers. Maybe I'll just start knitting at my desk during work hours. Or I could bring in my sewing machine. Or, I'll just keep reading blogs and watching YouTube.
(4 1/2 more days!!!!!!!!!)
I just had the best idea! I have about 990 of my business cards left. Maybe I'll work on a craft project with them. Ooo. That sounds like fun.
Add to the fact that I'm feeling slightly bitter and/or cynical about my current employer and about the fact that the owner of this company asked me to "keep it secret" until Monday (for who knows what reason, really.), I'm bored. We have been very slow for a week or so now. I'm trying to get things cleaned up as much as possible for my replacement and training him as things come up but, there's only so much a person can do.
So, I've been amusing myself. While I've been keeping on top of the work that needs doing, I've tested my hand/eye coordination and practiced parking. I studied Miss Swan videos in order to perfect my imitation. I may have watched some Stuart videos as well. (I have come to the belief that a well-timed, unexpected Stuart imitation will make almost anyone laugh so hard they turn bright red and stop breathing.)
So far today, in addition to some mundane paperwork, I've talked to my sister and a friend online, I've contemplated RSVPing that I will be attending the company Christmas party. It's 3 days after my last day, but, since I'm supposed to keep it a secret, they don't know that. I've made mental lists of what I will do with my days off after my last day here and before my first day at the new job (hints: sleeping, watching daytime tv, knitting). Blog reading takes up some time, as does random link-following.
So, now, I'm trying to come up with other ways to amuse myself while keeping up with the little bits of work that need doing. Ideas? I want something that will cause people to wonder what the hell I'm doing (but since the cool kids don't talk to me no one will actually ask). I'm thinking about making a big countdown calendar for my desk. Or sending myself "Congratulations on your new job" flowers. Maybe I'll just start knitting at my desk during work hours. Or I could bring in my sewing machine. Or, I'll just keep reading blogs and watching YouTube.
(4 1/2 more days!!!!!!!!!)
I just had the best idea! I have about 990 of my business cards left. Maybe I'll work on a craft project with them. Ooo. That sounds like fun.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Ahhhh... That's better
Last time I wrote, I was stressing about the job decision I had to make. I finally had my meeting with the manager in question. They were not willing to move on the salary. In fact he seemed flabbergasted (I love that word) that I felt I could get more elsewhere.
I informed them about the other offer which they seemed to be skeptical about. I went back to my desk and waited to hear from them. They declined the opportunity to counteroffer. In fact, they basically told me I'm not worth it. Which was nice of them. (imagine for a moment the amazing self control it took to not yell at him. I just sat calmly and said I would think about it)
I handed in my resignation this morning. I feel so free.
Except for the fact that these people, for whom I have put in an average of 9.5 hours per day for over a year now, are responding to me as though I am a marginal employee at best. As though I have no real input or contribution to make. These are the same people who are constantly praising me to customers, who offered me the job because they saw that I was already doing that work on my own because I saw a need. Then they turned around and told me that they weren't interested in offering more money (their offer was what I should have been making as a starting salary)(and was less than the starting salary of the guy who will take over my job)(he started 3 months ago). They said that I needed to "prove myself capable" in the new job before they would consider an increase in pay. I have already been doing the job. For 2 years.
When I handed over my notice, the response was, "Well, we wish you well" and "Please keep this secret until Monday" (I'm done on the 28th! Yay!!). No mention of "We'll miss you" or "We're sad to see you go" or "Thank you for all your hard work".
Ask me how sure I am (now) that I made the right decision.
I quit. I QUIT!!!!!!!! The new employers are very excited to have me come work for them, which definately cancels out the response here. I don't have any delusions that the new work will be magical and fairytale happy, but I know that I will be appreciated there and that counts for a lot. Plus, I've seen the other employees and there is not a muffin top to be found.
Whew. I want to make a big count-down calendar and make a big show of tearing off a page a day. I'm also mentally listing all the stories i can tell now that I won't be an employee here anymore. Yay.
PS. Antonia, thanks for your comment. and, *blush*, you're too kind... The email announcing your comment came as I was sitting back down minutes after handing in my resignation! The email from you sort of reminded me I did the right thing!(Thanks)
For the rest of you, if you haven't been to see Antonia's blog (and brand new baby, awwww...) you should. So. Funny.
I informed them about the other offer which they seemed to be skeptical about. I went back to my desk and waited to hear from them. They declined the opportunity to counteroffer. In fact, they basically told me I'm not worth it. Which was nice of them. (imagine for a moment the amazing self control it took to not yell at him. I just sat calmly and said I would think about it)
I handed in my resignation this morning. I feel so free.
Except for the fact that these people, for whom I have put in an average of 9.5 hours per day for over a year now, are responding to me as though I am a marginal employee at best. As though I have no real input or contribution to make. These are the same people who are constantly praising me to customers, who offered me the job because they saw that I was already doing that work on my own because I saw a need. Then they turned around and told me that they weren't interested in offering more money (their offer was what I should have been making as a starting salary)(and was less than the starting salary of the guy who will take over my job)(he started 3 months ago). They said that I needed to "prove myself capable" in the new job before they would consider an increase in pay. I have already been doing the job. For 2 years.
When I handed over my notice, the response was, "Well, we wish you well" and "Please keep this secret until Monday" (I'm done on the 28th! Yay!!). No mention of "We'll miss you" or "We're sad to see you go" or "Thank you for all your hard work".
Ask me how sure I am (now) that I made the right decision.
I quit. I QUIT!!!!!!!! The new employers are very excited to have me come work for them, which definately cancels out the response here. I don't have any delusions that the new work will be magical and fairytale happy, but I know that I will be appreciated there and that counts for a lot. Plus, I've seen the other employees and there is not a muffin top to be found.
Whew. I want to make a big count-down calendar and make a big show of tearing off a page a day. I'm also mentally listing all the stories i can tell now that I won't be an employee here anymore. Yay.
PS. Antonia, thanks for your comment. and, *blush*, you're too kind... The email announcing your comment came as I was sitting back down minutes after handing in my resignation! The email from you sort of reminded me I did the right thing!(Thanks)
For the rest of you, if you haven't been to see Antonia's blog (and brand new baby, awwww...) you should. So. Funny.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
AAAGGGGHHHH!!!
I haven’t written/posted anything in a long time. To my vast readership (har) I apologize. The thing is, some stuff has been going on that I really wanted to write about but didn’t/couldn’t because of one or all of the following:
a) people involved know about this blog
b) it was work related
c) I couldn’t figure out how to write about it.
I still don’t really know how to write about any of it other than to say this: If you are EVER, for any reason looking for a sure-fire way to make me completely insane and trigger my stress-related intestinal issues (ew) here’s how to go about it:
1. Put me in a situation where a decision has to be made.
2. Force me to make that decision
3. Give me 2 options with equal pros and cons to both
4. Add to the mix the fact that my decision will affect other people
5. Force me to wait 3 weeks in between telling me I have a decision to make and the time when I can finally have all the info needed to make the decision.
6. Add in some guilt and self-recrimination about issues that are only marginally connected to the decision but which have somehow made themselves integral to the decision.
7. Stir and allow to steep.
In a nutshell: I was approached 3 weeks ago by a manager at my work asking me to switch to his team. This would be a promotion and was to be accompanied by “a significant raise”. This manager then went away for 3 weeks without providing me with the information needed to make a decision about this promotion (i.e. the salary and job description).
In the meantime, I was approached by another company who want me to come work for them (eee!!). The salary they offered was SIGNIFICANTLY higher than what I currently make, but the work itself is exactly what i’ve been doing for the past 2 years. By the time this offer came to me I had started to really look forward to the change in position that the offer from my company afforded me.
Then the salary offer from my current company came in and, well, it was disappointing. Almost insulting, actually. I know for a fact that their offer is lower than the starting salary of at least one of my coworkers (a guy). In fact, that particular coworker will be taking over the position I am to be promoted out of. I have been with this company for 2 years. This is my second promotion with this company. My coworkers (the non-Jr. High Cool Kids ones) generally come to me for answers and/or help with issues all day, every day. But somehow I am worth less per year than he is?
It sounds like a no-brainer: go with the money. I realize this is the obvious answer. And, if my current company balks when I ask for more money then I will go with the money. The thing is: the new job doesn’t really entice me. The idea of moving away from the Jr. High atmosphere at my current work is appealing. The new job is closer to where I live, also appealing. But the actual work is what I had been hoping to get away from.
AAAGGGGHHHH.
I try to turn my brain off but it doesn’t work. I had finally gotten ahold of the manager at my current work on Wednesday and he assured me I would have answers first thing Thursday (my birthday*. Yay me). Well, I didn’t have the answers first thing Thursday. Then all day long I had to stew about it, ended up getting in an online argument of sorts with a friend about it, then finally got my answers which ended up raising more questions... Let’s just say this birthday was not the best one ever.
I did have lunch with one of my best friends and my other best friend took me for dinner and to a concert, so I really did have some celebrating. But underlying (or overshadowing, one of the two) everything was this looming decision.
I meet with the manager tomorrow. They don’t know about the other job offer because I haven’t had opportunity to talk to them about it. Salary aside, I have concerns that I want them to address before I accept the job, assuming they would meet the other offer. If they don’t then this is all moot.
Did I already say AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH?
Also, to add to the fun times happiness: One of the other managers announced to the staff that I was taking the new position within our company. 2 weeks ago. Before I had even said anything about it. Which started a shitstorm of hate from the Jr. High Cool Kids I work with. Whee.
I know: why am I even stressing about it? Take the new job! But... But... AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!
I’ll be back posting (irregularly) about nothing when this all gets sorted. Although, if i take the new job I won’t have any funny new stories about the cool kids to tell. But, I guess I would be free to tell the stories that I have about them since I won’t be working there anymore.
See, it’s hard! Both sides are equal!
*36**
**Just 2 weeks ago someone assumed I was 25, so I’m not too too pissed about turning 36...
a) people involved know about this blog
b) it was work related
c) I couldn’t figure out how to write about it.
I still don’t really know how to write about any of it other than to say this: If you are EVER, for any reason looking for a sure-fire way to make me completely insane and trigger my stress-related intestinal issues (ew) here’s how to go about it:
1. Put me in a situation where a decision has to be made.
2. Force me to make that decision
3. Give me 2 options with equal pros and cons to both
4. Add to the mix the fact that my decision will affect other people
5. Force me to wait 3 weeks in between telling me I have a decision to make and the time when I can finally have all the info needed to make the decision.
6. Add in some guilt and self-recrimination about issues that are only marginally connected to the decision but which have somehow made themselves integral to the decision.
7. Stir and allow to steep.
In a nutshell: I was approached 3 weeks ago by a manager at my work asking me to switch to his team. This would be a promotion and was to be accompanied by “a significant raise”. This manager then went away for 3 weeks without providing me with the information needed to make a decision about this promotion (i.e. the salary and job description).
In the meantime, I was approached by another company who want me to come work for them (eee!!). The salary they offered was SIGNIFICANTLY higher than what I currently make, but the work itself is exactly what i’ve been doing for the past 2 years. By the time this offer came to me I had started to really look forward to the change in position that the offer from my company afforded me.
Then the salary offer from my current company came in and, well, it was disappointing. Almost insulting, actually. I know for a fact that their offer is lower than the starting salary of at least one of my coworkers (a guy). In fact, that particular coworker will be taking over the position I am to be promoted out of. I have been with this company for 2 years. This is my second promotion with this company. My coworkers (the non-Jr. High Cool Kids ones) generally come to me for answers and/or help with issues all day, every day. But somehow I am worth less per year than he is?
It sounds like a no-brainer: go with the money. I realize this is the obvious answer. And, if my current company balks when I ask for more money then I will go with the money. The thing is: the new job doesn’t really entice me. The idea of moving away from the Jr. High atmosphere at my current work is appealing. The new job is closer to where I live, also appealing. But the actual work is what I had been hoping to get away from.
AAAGGGGHHHH.
I try to turn my brain off but it doesn’t work. I had finally gotten ahold of the manager at my current work on Wednesday and he assured me I would have answers first thing Thursday (my birthday*. Yay me). Well, I didn’t have the answers first thing Thursday. Then all day long I had to stew about it, ended up getting in an online argument of sorts with a friend about it, then finally got my answers which ended up raising more questions... Let’s just say this birthday was not the best one ever.
I did have lunch with one of my best friends and my other best friend took me for dinner and to a concert, so I really did have some celebrating. But underlying (or overshadowing, one of the two) everything was this looming decision.
I meet with the manager tomorrow. They don’t know about the other job offer because I haven’t had opportunity to talk to them about it. Salary aside, I have concerns that I want them to address before I accept the job, assuming they would meet the other offer. If they don’t then this is all moot.
Did I already say AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH?
Also, to add to the fun times happiness: One of the other managers announced to the staff that I was taking the new position within our company. 2 weeks ago. Before I had even said anything about it. Which started a shitstorm of hate from the Jr. High Cool Kids I work with. Whee.
I know: why am I even stressing about it? Take the new job! But... But... AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!
I’ll be back posting (irregularly) about nothing when this all gets sorted. Although, if i take the new job I won’t have any funny new stories about the cool kids to tell. But, I guess I would be free to tell the stories that I have about them since I won’t be working there anymore.
See, it’s hard! Both sides are equal!
*36**
**Just 2 weeks ago someone assumed I was 25, so I’m not too too pissed about turning 36...
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Anyone got a pen I could borrow?
I’m just not one of the cool kids. Really. I’m not. Just ask the cool kids, they’ll tell you.
I’ve gotten used to this feeling at work. I tend to refer to work as a Junior High. (Not necessarily in conversation with anyone actually AT work, you understand) I don’t know how it all happened, but there is a “clique” of “cool kids” and friend, I am NOT in the clique!
Ask me how sad this makes me.
Mostly it just makes for some funny stories. I am still trying to figure out the best way to be able to share those here. For today, I’ll just tell you about how only The Cool KIds can obtain and use office supplies.
One of my co-workers is in charge of the office supplies. This makes sense. The thing is, that this co-worker is so completely controlling about the office supplies that I may as well just go buy my own stuff. Pens, sticky notes, paper clips, you know, the big ticket items, they are all under lock and key. I have gone to get staples and was handed one (yes! ONE) strip of staples. Why, THANK you, this should solve all of my paper fastening dilemmas!
About a year ago I requested a specific pen. I was told it was too expensive. (it was $2.50CDN). Okay, I thought, I’ll make due. Then, a few weeks later, I notice a steady stream of new office supplies coming in and being distributed to The Cool Kids. Hmm… look at that! The “super expensive” pen I requested is being used by the receptionist. Fancy that!
I requested a 3” binder for some items that need to be kept in a binder at my desk. It took 5 requests and 3 months before I actually GOT the binder. That I needed. For my JOB. I finally had someone else request it and it got delivered within a week.
Hmm…
Most recently, I requested a foot-rest for my desk. (Because I’m ancient apparently.) Office Supply Officer (OSO) ignored my request(s) for a few weeks. Finally I cornered spoke to OSO while other people were present. The next day, I came in and there was a (used) footrest under my desk! Yay! I emailed OSO to say thanks and OSO replied that she didn’t have any need for one so I might as well have the one that she wasn’t using in order to save money for the company. Fine with me. (I have no problem with used office supplies. I don’t need to spend tons of money on something I’m putting my feet on). Earlier this morning I had to go make supplications to get some sticky notes and noticed, positioned carefully under OSO’s desk, a brand new, fancy-schmancy foot rest. Hmm…
I think I might just start requesting crazier and crazier “office” supplies and see what happens. Any suggestions?
I’ve gotten used to this feeling at work. I tend to refer to work as a Junior High. (Not necessarily in conversation with anyone actually AT work, you understand) I don’t know how it all happened, but there is a “clique” of “cool kids” and friend, I am NOT in the clique!
Ask me how sad this makes me.
Mostly it just makes for some funny stories. I am still trying to figure out the best way to be able to share those here. For today, I’ll just tell you about how only The Cool KIds can obtain and use office supplies.
One of my co-workers is in charge of the office supplies. This makes sense. The thing is, that this co-worker is so completely controlling about the office supplies that I may as well just go buy my own stuff. Pens, sticky notes, paper clips, you know, the big ticket items, they are all under lock and key. I have gone to get staples and was handed one (yes! ONE) strip of staples. Why, THANK you, this should solve all of my paper fastening dilemmas!
About a year ago I requested a specific pen. I was told it was too expensive. (it was $2.50CDN). Okay, I thought, I’ll make due. Then, a few weeks later, I notice a steady stream of new office supplies coming in and being distributed to The Cool Kids. Hmm… look at that! The “super expensive” pen I requested is being used by the receptionist. Fancy that!
I requested a 3” binder for some items that need to be kept in a binder at my desk. It took 5 requests and 3 months before I actually GOT the binder. That I needed. For my JOB. I finally had someone else request it and it got delivered within a week.
Hmm…
Most recently, I requested a foot-rest for my desk. (Because I’m ancient apparently.) Office Supply Officer (OSO) ignored my request(s) for a few weeks. Finally I cornered spoke to OSO while other people were present. The next day, I came in and there was a (used) footrest under my desk! Yay! I emailed OSO to say thanks and OSO replied that she didn’t have any need for one so I might as well have the one that she wasn’t using in order to save money for the company. Fine with me. (I have no problem with used office supplies. I don’t need to spend tons of money on something I’m putting my feet on). Earlier this morning I had to go make supplications to get some sticky notes and noticed, positioned carefully under OSO’s desk, a brand new, fancy-schmancy foot rest. Hmm…
I think I might just start requesting crazier and crazier “office” supplies and see what happens. Any suggestions?
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