the wonderful world of des

moving!

2011-03-12T18:41:00.004-05:00

So!

I did it, I moved to wordpress. I don't feel like transporting all this over there, so I'll leave it here, at least for a while. But go check in at http://retailretales.wordpress.com/
for all future updates.

Tell your friends!

Love,
superdes, aka desstar

oh hi

2011-03-04T15:56:00.003-05:00

Oh hi, I have a blog that I haven't updated in over a month.
Remember when I used to update at least once a day? Yeah.

So anyway, I think I'm going to switch to Wordpress. Blogger is always ridiculous for me - it gives me issues uploading photos and whatnot.

Maybe it will inspire me to blog more. It won't be every day, because I'm still pretty damn busy, but more often than once a month anyway.

I haven't started the new blog yet because honestly, I don't know what to call it. And I don't know if anyone cares. That's not an invitation to a pity party, I just never get comments anymore. Of course, I rarely leave comments on others' anymore either. Part of that whole "being super busy" thing.

So.... thoughts?

personality test

2011-01-30T10:29:00.004-05:00

Every so often, I like to take the Jung Typology (personality) Test. Even though I get the same answer, I always forget what that answer is.

I'm an ISTJ, also known as an Inspector. Also read as a robot. I find it pretty accurate, the most hard-hitting sentence being "They are patient with their work and with the procedures within an institution, although not always with the unauthorized behavior of some people in that institution." What? Me get annoyed at people for not doing thir job, especially when it affects my job? Nooooooooo.

I had to take a test like this for my job in NYC. It was very long and much more involved then this online one, and the results were much more in depth. I got to see my results (most people don't) and I should have made a copy. It said the same thing, and it actually used the term robot. So you see, I'm not just making that up.

Speaking of jobs, the online test gives a list of jobs & careers suitable for my personality type, but I'm pretty convinced that it's just a ploy to check out some online schools. It gave me things like Management and military service. I understand why - they are rigid and organized. But getting to those positions is not. Regardless, I'm happy with my choice to go into cosmetology. It mixes science with creativity, plus I get the benefits of dealing with people and having every day be different. And who better to do hair than a robot? ;)

updates on school and work

2011-01-23T12:10:00.000-05:00

Other than burning my finger when learning to use old skool metal curlers and straighteners, school is still going well.

For some reason (I guess just to have it on paper that I'm not a total idiot), I have to take a Computer Basics class. It really is the basics too. I mean, obviously I can use a computer. I'm using one right now. I used one to register for that class. I can write HTML code. I can use a damn computer. But they teach us to "double click" on icons and how to get on the internet. I spend that 2 hours a week texting Jay and playing games on my phone because honestly there's nothing I can learn. I also had to buy a book for it (really?) and the one in the bookstore was like $75. Next semester they're upgrading to Office 2010, so the book on Office 2007 (I know!) won't be worth anything to buy back. Luckily I found a place to rent the book for $19, so now I don't have to worry about spending a bunch of dough that I don't have on a book that I will never use.

Pretty much everyone in the COS class gets along. I haven't hung out with anyone outside of class yet, but there are a few people that I would consider. This is evidenced by the other day at lunch: everyone was crowded around one table with not enough seats. I had gotten to the lobby a little late, so I was left without a chair. I stood around for a few minutes, then decided to go sit at another table by myself. (We stand up for 7 hours a day, so I took the seat when I had the chance.) But a few minutes later, a few of my "friends" came from the other table to sit with me. That made me smile.

However, there's one chick in my class that noboody likes. All she does is complain, and everything she says is negative. At first she was complaining that we use too many chemicals and everything is so wasteful. I initially brushed her off as a hippie that was just in the wrong profession (seriously, cosmetology uses a ton of unnatural chemicals!) but she kept making it worse. Everything we do in class is "impossible" (even though the rest of us are managing ok) and every problem she has is horrible and dramatic and deserves special attention, even making the teacher stop in the middle of class. The rest of us always exchange silent eyerolls whenever she opens her mouth, and I hope that she drops the program. She's only taking it because she was a dog groomer and people aren't paying for that service anymore, so she figured grooming people "is the same thing" just with a license.

I'm still looking for a new job. Besides the pay cut I mentioned previously, I found out some things the other day that made me very stabby. My previous supervisor lied to the managers about me. He said he had previously "counseled" me regarding my performance, and since my performance hadn't improved, I was supposed to be written up. The only problem was that he never had actually counseled me, which is why (thankfully) they couldn't find the paperwork, so I couldn't be written up. For a job that I no longer have, btw. And this same guy had told them that he was doing my work for me. For example, there were these giant cardboard bins that I spent several days building... he said that he built them. I threw a fit right then and told the manager to ask the rest of my coworkers, as they all saw me building them, and many made jokes about how I was building cardboard forts to hide in. Before this, I had been friends with this guy. I was able to separate friendship from work, but lying to his superiors to make me look bad and him look good, well, that's not something a friend does. That's not even something a good manager or decent human being does. I haven't had to work with him since, but when I eventually do, I'm sure he'll ask why I de-friended him on facebook. And I'll tell him exactly why.

Other than that, work isn't horrible. It's kind of nice not having to do so much - my new position is like braindead. I mean the pay still sucks, but until I get something better I can stick with it. I haven't had to work with either of the 2 people I hate, so hopefully it will stay that way.

Sorry this was kind of a negative blog but really I am still pretty happy. I miss my friends at work, but I still keep in touch with them and hang out with them occasionally, and I'm on my way to having new friends from school. And of course, I still have all of you lovely people.

And sorry it was TL;DR. And I used a lot of parentheticals. But I actually have things to say now!

2011-01-16T19:18:00.000-05:00

I finally had my first day of school, after 3 & 1/2 days' delay from snow.

I think I'm really going to like Cosmetology school. There are 4 "classes" in the program - beginners (like me), advanced, seniors, and estheticians. Normally there's a manicurist class too, but not this semester. My class only has 9 people in it, all girls. There are a total of 3 guys in the whole program (out of about 40 or so), and well... way to fit stereotypes, gay hairdressers. (jk)

The $1500 I spent break down into one giant box of books - a set of 7 - and my cosmetology kit, which includes things like plastic heads and various hairpieces, along with assorted tools. I was super excited to open the kit and play with everything. :D The books include "quizzes" which are so simple that I could do them all tonight and turn them in tomorrow. It's a nice change from the studying I had to do while getting my Bachelors. However, I know cosmetology uses a different part of the brain than that.

My teacher is a no-nonsense Jamaican lady, and I think I'm going to like her. In fact, I'm really excited about the whole thing. Even though it's going to take some effort and life adjustments, I think I made the right choice in going back to school for a career in hair.

resolute

2010-12-30T15:22:00.001-05:00

I normally don't make New Year's resolutions. I'm of the mind that if you want / need to change something about yourself, you should just do it and not wait until the calendar says to. This year it just so happens that I need to change myself right at the new year. How convenient.

I'm going to stop being such a downer and have more fun with my life. I know I've been having a hard time lately, but I shouldn't let it bring me down. I am certainly lucky in that I have love (from both Jay and 2 adorable kitties), a nice place to live, lots of friends all over the world, and a job. Sure, I'm looking for a new job because I hate this one, but a lot of people don't have even that luxury. In fact, I've been that person too, and I'll do what I can to not be in that position again. I watch tv and movies about families that are poor but happy. I want to be that. I am going to stop being so sad about my situation and have fun with what I do have. The fact that I'm being sad just makes me sadder, and that's a retarded circle that needs to stop. I'm going to stop wishing for things I can't have, and start enjoying the things I already do.

So I'm gonna do it. I used to be one of the happiest people I knew, so I know it's possible. And I need you, my blog friends to help keep me on track. An occasional downer post is allowed, but if I start bringing you down with all my Desi Downer acts, slap some sense into me!

I might even get a tattoo of the quote "It's fun to have fun" which is a Dr. Seuss quote that (used to be) my motto.

Other than that, everyone have a safe and happy new year. And have fun! :D :kiss:

ps - I'm officially done working overnights now, so that will probably help with the happiness. :D

silly cat

2010-12-18T21:10:00.006-05:00

When I was in 3rd grade or so, we read a story in class about the Alaskan natives. The time period was such that they still weren't "Americanized" but they did receive yearly boat shipments of oranges. Because oranges are not native to Alaska (something about the cold....) the girl that was the focus of the story would eat the outside (the peel) and throw away the "garbage" inside. Obviously this is backwards from the norm. But the outside was better than anything she had ever had, so she didn't imagine that it could be even better.

I relate this story because of Hadley, the new kitty. She was definitely a "street cat" before we got her, and so is not used to the basic comforts of home that Mecrutio takes for granted. For example, we have a few cardboard scratchers around. Mecru uses them like a normal cat - scratchy scratchy. Whereas Hadley lies on it as a bed. We have many soft things for the cats to lie on, including various cat beds, blankets, and even our own bed, but no. The scratchers are more comfortable than anything she had on the streets, so she doesn't need to look for anything softer.

See?

We're trying to teach her about beds, but as long as she's happy.

financial woes

2010-12-10T18:15:00.002-05:00

Warning, sad emo blog.

I'm really stressing about money today. Why?

-Out of the 2 cars we started out with, one is still smashed and the other has severe transmission problems. Both can be fixed, but not with our current resources.

- I don't know I'm going to pay for school. My financial aid still hasn't kicked in, and probably won't until too late. I can make payments on the tuition, but I didn't realize until I actually went to sign up that it requires a 33% down payment, which means I need about $300 by next week. Then I need another $1300 or so by next month for a uniform and supplies, which are specific packages I can only get through the school.

- xmas is coming, and I already feel horrible that people are going to be buying me gifts when I can do so little for them.

The list can go on, but those are the major worries right now. And I am trying to better my situation - I have one side job that started out pretty awesome. It's one of those work at home deals, and it was so awesome that I was planning on quitting my real job (which I hate) as soon as I had all my school bills paid with the extra money. But they recently changed it so I can only work like 1-2 hours a day. I know every bit helps, but seriously, an extra $10 a day isn't really helping me make my deadlines. And that means I have to stay at my horrible "real" job.

I have another side job lined up too. I did my (paid) training for it today. A friend of mine is going on vacation and needed someone to cover his part time job. It's a pretty sweet gig: I go down to the local BMW dealership 3 times a week, and take pictures of cars. I have to move the cars around and take very specific pictures of them, but I get paid for 3 hours' work whether it takes that long or not (and he said it usually takes only about an hour). If it's raining or snowing, I still get paid. Then I go home and upload the pictures to the website and a few days later there is more money in my bank. So this will help out a little anyway, though I'm not sure if that will be in time for school. And as always, there's still the odd sale from my etsy store and the random modeling job, but those are not reliable sources.

OK, sorry to lay that on you but I needed to get that off my chest.

new kitty

2010-12-03T18:39:00.003-05:00

I got a new kitty! Warning, this is long but the cuteness is worth it, I promise.

The local humane society did a free cat adoption the weekend after Thanksgiving. Jay had to work both days, but I was off Saturday (after 9 hellish days in a row!) so he trusted me to go pick a winner.

I was originally looking for a male cat because the cat I already have is male. (Because they're from the Humane Society, no matter what they would be spayed or neutered.) I found one that was cute, but he was very shy. I'm awesome with cats, so he eventually warmed up to me, complete with snuggles and love nibbles, but he was still skiddish. There was an older couple outside the pen discussing the cat with an adoption coordinator. While they were surprised that I was getting any kitty attention (kit-tention), they were looking for an outside / barn cat - not necessarily people friendly but cat friendly and a good hunter. From their description, this was the perfect cat for them. Even though I liked him, I didn't know how he would react to Jhay and other guests, which is important to me. (I didn't stick around for the follow up, but when I next cheked the webpage, that cat had been adopted, so I assume it was with those people.)

Also I didn't feel so bad about letting that one "get away" because that cat's pen-mate, Hadley, was an adorable sweetheart. She was very affectionate, but not needy. She was comfortable enough around me to eat and let me hold her and touch her feet, and was still playful. In total, I spent over an hour in that pen, occasionally venturing out to see if I wanted to meet any other cats. But I kept going back to her until my mind was made up. She wasn't spayed yet, so I signed all the paperwork and was told I could come back Tuesday to bring her home. Perfect, as Tuesday is both my and Jay's day off, so he would get to meet her before actually getting home.

We got there and signed all the final paperwork and whatnot. They gave us a cardboard carrier to get her home - we took it because it's always nice to have 2 carriers when you have 2 cats. She was still groggy from surgery so we left her in the cardboard one. The adoption folks warned us that she hadn't gone potty since before the surgery - more than 24 hours ago. No problem, we had a litter box waiting at home. Unfortunately, poor girl couldn't wait til then, and I ended up very covered in stinky cat pee. And the cardboard carrier went straight in the trash.

At first the two cats didn't get along. We kept them separated, but the new one was still grumpy from surgery and all the recent changes in her life. So even though Mecrutio wanted nothing more than to be friends, the new kitty let out the occasional hiss, and that was off-putting to everyone. But as time went on. they became friends. As I type this, they are chasing each other around upstairs, sounding like a herd of elephants.

And now pictures! Meet Hadley. (The shelter named her, but I think it's a cute name so we'll keep it.)

Did I mention she's polydactyl AND bobtailed? She's my little genetic opera of a kitty.:)

rantings of a fangirl

2010-11-29T18:17:00.004-05:00

Last night I got to see the legendary Cyndi Lauper in concert. I may be biased since I've loved her since I was born, but even the casual fan would agree that it was A.MA.ZING. The crowd was mostly older, though there were a few people my age, and one pair of girls that were definitely like 15. They tried a little too hard with the hair gel and the "crazy" outfits, but as long as they had fun I don't care.

Most of the show was her rocking out old blues covers, and I do mean rocking. It was so good that I didn't even care if she played her old 80s hits. However, the mouthy broad next to me did. "We paid $36 to hear some She-Bop!" she kept complaining to her friend. Directly in my ear. I wanted to turn to her and be like "Well maybe after 30 years she's tired of playing that old stuff. She has a new cd out, let her plug that. And *I* didn't pay to hear She-Bop. I can hear that for free, at home. I paid to see one of the most awesome women in music history live in person."

And I almost wish she hadn't played the 80s hits. She is such an excellent performer - high energy singing and dancing mixed with storytelling in her adorable Queens accent. (And how often do you call a a Queens accent adorable?) But she did play the 80s hits, and they too were fucking fantastic. She just waited until after the fake end of the concert, when everyone leaves the stage but the house lights don't come on. The audience cheers for a few minutes, and everyone comes back to finish the set.

Here is a video of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". The quality is crappy, but you can see how high-energy it all was. I had to cut off filming because she said "raise your hands in the air" and everyone did, and little old me couldn't see a thing. :(
ps - you can definitely hear that mouthy broad I mentioned earlier.

Here are a coupla other of my fave pics.

I got an autographed cd, too. They were pre-autographed, I didn't get to meet her, but it's still pretty cool. And yes, I idolize Cyndi Lauper almost as much as I do Joan Jett. And you all know how much I love her. But honestly, it was one of - if not THE best concerts I've ever been to.

pre-thanksgiving

2010-11-24T10:42:00.002-05:00

This is not a post about what I'm thankful for. Those are boring. It's more of the minor disappointment variety.

This year we are eating dinner with some friends, who are incidentally moving out of state just a few days later. They are preparing the turkey, so we just have to worry about sides. My requirements are easy enough: candied yams, black olives, and sweet dinner rolls. Yams require no effort at all because this is the South and they love their sweet potatoes. Olives, well, that's just opening a can (and putting the olives on my fingers). I thought sweet rolls (also called Hawai'an rolls) would be easy too, considering this area's love of sweet tea. But they also love homemade flaky biscuits, and I guess that wins out because I can not find sweet rolls anywhere in this town.

After failing at the regular grocery store, I checked the organic / specialty store. Nuthin. They did have honey butter though, so I bought that, even though it was $6 for a small tub. And because I didn't want to make another stop, I went ahead and bought the regular rolls, which were literally 4 times the price I should have paid. Since I was spending unnecessary money, I thought I would buy some Tofurkey jerky as well, but apparently it's been discontinued. And usually that store has a coupon for a certain item free (be it a bag of apples, pasta, or what have you) when you spend $5. But not this week.

So all in all, it was a disappointing trip. I know dinner will be tasty no matter what, but I wish things had gone my way.

updates

2010-11-13T14:26:00.002-05:00

Lots to update.

We moved into our new place like a month & a half ago. I don't have my own internet YET, but it should be coming soon. Luckily I have Jay's smartphone to tether sometimes. :)
The new place is pretty great, a lot better than the old place. My only complaints are that none of the rooms get full sun - the den and kitchen each get a sliver big enough for the cat to sit in but not me - and the neighbor kids do nothing but scream and cry. All day. Every day. It's not so bad when we have the tv or music on, but when I'm trying to read quietly or go to sleep... yeah, I consider taking those 3 kids (all under age 4 or so) and ditching them in the woods somewhere.

So things were going quite well, until...

...we got in a car accident. Downhill (maybe a bit too fast) at the moment that it starts sleeting for the first time leads to smashy smashy. We're both fine, but down to one car that already barely runs. For the record, I wasn't driving and I maintain my perfect driving record. :D

Work has been killing me. A month or so ago I put in to get my old job back, because I'm tired of being beaten up and exhausted every day from doing my job without the proper equipment. They said "we'll talk about it" after the first of the year. Which means no. Then the other day the store manager chewed me out for not meeting a deadline. I had already pointed out multiple times why the deadline was impossible. What made it worse is that I got yelled at on the sales floor, in front of many of my coworkers and customers. That is the part that I couldn't let slide, and in fact I would have walked out right then if I didn't need the money so badly (thanks in part to the aforementioned car accident).
Then later I was informed that during the managers' meeting, I was named "bottom contributor" of the store. I've never called in sick, I'm never late, and I'm generally ahead in my work - so much so that I help out other people all the time. In fact, right before I switched positions, I was unanimously named the Top contributor. Yet somehow now, I am worse than all those part-time cashiers that call out constantly (if they call at all) or worse than the guys that cuss at the customers or whatever. So anyway, I've offically lost my work ethic and am open to another job elsewhere.

Speaking of that....

I'M A COLLEGE STUDENT AGAIN! Cosmetology, to be exact. I've been thinking about it for a while, and the other day on a whim I went down to the school. My timing was perfect, and I put my name in just in time for them to go ahead with the program (they only do it in Spring if there is enough interest) and classes start January 10. I went to my orientation, and it's going to be a pain in the ass and a lot of work, but I know it will be worth it. I'll get to do something I actually enjoy for a living, imagine that! I do have to take out all my earrings / piercings for class though (thank you very much, state board) but if that's the most I have to sacrifice, so be it. ;)

However, my financial aid is going to take several weeks to kick in, and I need to buy my supplies before that happens. The plus side is that I only have to buy supplies once - not every semester like regular college. The down side is that I need about $1500 before classes start to do this, and that's the part I am stuck on. I'm selling things on ebay, still selling jewelry (in theory), and doing what I can, but money is already tight without this giant expense. I'm looking for work gigs for extra cash, but this town is dry as a bone. I'm almost to the point where I feel like I should just complete the cliche and become a stripper at night while I'm a cosmetology student during the day. And yes, I'm joking. Kinda.

Anyhoo, hopefully when I get my internet back, I can blog more.

stream of job consciousness

2010-09-27T16:46:00.003-04:00

Longtime readers know I've never been happy with any job I've had. Some are better than others (especially in hindsight) but I've never found the perfect one. I like being creative. I like working with animals. Unfortunately, most jobs involving either of these things require a piece of paper stating that I can do them. I have no such paper. I do want to go back to school, but until I am more financially stable, it is out of the question. I don't even know what I would go for. I've had aspirations for everything from veterinary school to beauty school to a university for the science degree I never got (instead I got that one in literature).

I would just about kill to be able to do something creative for a job. I like thinking on my own, not being told exactly what to do by some corporate office 2000 miles away. I am reminded of this every single day in my real job.

Jay wants me to start writing again, which is why I've been trying to blog more. I love that he has faith in me, I just lack the discipline. I know I could put out a book if I just sat down and DID it. (I dunno if anyone would read it, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.) But that's just one example. I still make jewelry, and sometimes I model, but neither one pays the bills. I still need a place to live and food to eat, after all. (Though the extra income I get from one or both of those IS a help.)

I know the perfect job is out there, I just need to find it.

news - high heels

2010-09-22T21:44:00.004-04:00

Today on my break at work I was watching the news. Rather, I was reading the headline ticker at the bottom of the tv, while the newscasters babbled on about how David Hasselhoff was kicked off Dancing With the Stars.

The one that caught my eye was "High heels a waste of money? New study shows 40% of men don't notice women's shoes."

First, men aren't supposed to notice the shoes. They're supposed to notice what high heels do to our legs and butts. Evolutionarily speaking, high heels lift and separate our buttcheeks, and that is a prime indicator of sexual readiness. Or to the layman, Dayum!

Also, apparently all women only buy things to impress men. It's inconceivable that a woman would buy something, say a pair of shoes, because she actually liked them and found them aesthetically pleasing. I know every pair of shoes *I* purchase is in the hopes that a man will lie in awe of how wonderfully they match my fingernail polish.

Thank god for the news.

local music

2010-09-18T11:03:00.004-04:00

I went to see my friend play a concert last night. He was really good, but the other acts not so much.

The first act was just a guy with an acoustic guitar. You could tell he was talented, but he was boooooring. Such a stereotype. You know, songs that are just a few chords and ramblings of words too long to fit in the musical meter, not "sung" so much as spoken in rhythm. One of the songs was called "Exercise in Existentialism" so you can imagine how that went. (eyeroll) All the songs sounded the same. Luckily it was pretty easy to ignore, as everone in the(very small) audience was bored. I could see that happening in a coffeehouse. However, upstairs from the venue is a gay nightclub, and we could hear the techno beatz over the acoustic guitar, so I was dancing in my chair to that, really resisting the urge to go up there.

Next up was my friend, and he too is just a dude with a guitar. I knew that coming into the show, but I wanted to support him. He was actually really good. He had good volume, had variety in his playing, and had actually well written lyrics. He gave me a cd of his, so maybe someday I'll share it with all of you.

The third and final act (for us, anyway) was having a bit of an identity crisis. They really wanted to be an indie folk band (sticking with the theme of the night) but also kinda sounded like The Pogues. I wish they would have embraced that, but no. This one was two dudes, one with an electric and one with an acoustic guitar. The singer wore a green wifebeater and trucker hat to go with his long redneck beard. The lyrics were less than stellar: one song repeated "Why or why are you such a bitch" and "Why or why are you such a whore." Gee, tell us how you really feel about your ex wife. (He explained the song before he played it, you know because we never would have figured it out.) Another song featured the line "breakfast is a metaphor." For what, we wondered. His "singing" was way more on the screaming side, and as the sound system in the place isn't as awesome as it could be, it was a pretty overall awful aural experience. We left partway through their set, since the friend I had gone to see also left.

But I miss the experience of going to shows (especially local ones) so it was still a fun time. And hey, it gave me a story to tell.

Really? (a different one)

2010-09-16T17:02:00.000-04:00

I was looking something up for a customer today and she reached out and TOUCHED MY FACE. I recoiled violently, and she said "oh sorry, but your star is so pretty!" I said, I don't like people touching me! And she seemed to get the hint.

I've said it before: tattoos are not invitations to touch strangers. Especially their face!

really?

2010-09-13T18:50:00.004-04:00

Today there was a notice on my work's internet message board about overhead signing. Since that's my job and all, I had to read it. Here's a paraphrasing:

Many stores have questioned the fact that they received both pharmacy and Halloween signing for the store's entrance. There seems to be some consfusion as to which signs to hang.
If your store does not have a pharmacy, do not hang the pharmacy signs. For those stores with a pharmacy, hang the pharmacy signs now and replace them at the end of the month with the Halloween signs.

Really? Stores that don't have a pharmacy shouldn't hang the signs advertising the pharmacy?

Apparently enough people were confused by this that they had to issue a company-wide announcement.

This, people. This is why I need a new job.

it's official!

2010-09-11T10:41:00.004-04:00

We were approved for the townhouse! I hate moving, but I'm excited to be in a new place. I'm looking forward to all of the following:

-no major bug infestations, so it won't take 3 additional months to move in
-any problems will be FIXED (like heat and/or AC)
-carpeted floors
-two stories
-two bathrooms
-more room, so now we can actually have people over!
-better location: closer to both of our jobs, a more fun neighborhood, etc.
-related: walking distance from a delicious BBQ joint that everyone in Asheville knows
-24 hour access to a fitness room

I'm sure there are more advantages, but I think that's enough to show why I am pleased. :)

moving, step 1

2010-09-05T13:19:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the first (and probably one of the only) nice day of the year here. It was about 77 degrees and NOT humid! It was the best. Jay and I spent it looking for apartments.

In short, the house we live in is very old and more than a pain in the butt to heat and cool. We looked at a few, and we think we found an awesome new place - a 2 story townhouse, with 2 bedrooms and 1 & 1/2 baths (full bath with toilet / bathtub / sink upstairs and toilet / sink downstairs). The model we saw was pretty great and beautifully laid out. It's cheaper and bigger than the other ones we saw, and pretty close to both of our jobs (though hopefully soon I'll be at a different job...) We've got a coupla more places to check out "just to be sure" but I for one am pretty set on the townhouse.

So after we check out the remaining places on Tuesday, we're going to drop off a fairly large, mostly non-refundable check. There's a holding deposit, pet deposit, application fee x2, first month's rent, etc, etc, etc. Some of it is due with the application and the rest a few weeks later when we actually get the keys and move in. Not sure where we're suddenly going to come up with like $1500, but we don't have a choice. On a semi-related note, anyone wanna buy anything?

So that's my update for now.

why?

2010-09-01T16:25:00.003-04:00

So today at work I had to hang a sign on the front door. I sat on the inside, so the automatic doors opened towards me. The static cling sign was about 3 feet square, so it took several minutes to get it straight, smooth out all the bubbles, etc. Now, I would rather have waited until the morning (before the store opens), but the Store Manager - you know, the one who knows everything about my job even though he's never done it) wanted it done today.

During this time, people were coming in through this door. All of them would stop and look at me. Then some of them would walk 1 foot to the right and use the *gasp* manual door. But too many people continued through the automatic door, opening it ONTO me, inconveniencing me and forcing to stop my work (and move fast to avoid getting whacked in the face). I actually had to recruit one of my coworkers to stand guard so I could just take 5 uninterrupted minutes and finish.

Now, what went through their heads? Hmmm. there's a person on the other side of this door. Since I can see her clearly, I know she is in the middle of doing something. But she's in my way. I don't understand what to do! If only there were some simple solution....

more adventures in retail

2010-08-20T16:59:00.002-04:00

I'm thinking about starting a new blog, just about my stories about customers. I could pull a lot from this blog, and as long as I have my current job I will always have fodder for new material. What do you think, would you be into that?

Anyway, here are today's stories:

-My last customer of the day br\ought a whole cartful of things, and each item had a coupon. But she didn't bother reading the coupons, so some of the items were the wrong sizes or flavors, or the coupon was only good when you brought 3 of them, or whatever. Some of the coupons weren't even for items that we sell in my store.
The chick that was taking over my register so I could go home had to keep running and grabbing items for this lady because the lady didn't want to do another transaction.

I made sure the managers knew about that one, and I wrote my coworker a "great team" card, which gets posted on the bulletin board for all to see.

-Someone was buying 2 binders today, so I put them inside each other so they would fit in the bag better. She said" Did they teach you to do that? You're so smart!"
But her tone wasn't genuine - it was the same tone you would use with a child or a retarded person. Since I'm obviously not a child, I think she honestly thought I have a mental disability. I got that vibe a lot today. Not sure if people are just quick to judge based on my "profession" or if I was really being stupid. I didn't feel stupid.
Just because I play cashier sometimes at work doesn't mean that I'm retarded or that I didn't go to college. First off, cashiering is not my job. I just help them out sometimes. Secondly, I'm lucky to have any job at all in this shit economy. I can't pick and choose based on what other people will think of me!

-Also I had someone buy a bunch of stuff, pay with foodstamps, then with $4.82 remaining on a gift card (that she wasn't even sure she wanted to use), and then she realized she didn't have enough money to cover the rest. I can't suspend a transaction once a payment has been made, so I had to void the whole thing while she ran out to her car. So she left a shopping cart full of bagged, unpaid merchandise, [b]along with her purse[/b]. I kept it there for a few minutes, but all my other customers were commenting "why would she leave her purse?"
After about 5 minutes I had the manager take the whole thing over to the guest services desk. The lady still didn't come back for like 20 minutes. I son't know where the hell she went.

/eyeroll

suffering

2010-08-15T16:01:00.003-04:00

I'm half-heartedly looking for a new job. I really like all my coworkers, but there are sooo many things that make me grumpy.

Mostly it's the store manager. He has told me repeatedly that he never would have hired me "looking like that." Lucky for me, it wasn't up to him because he wasn't there. But still, even though I receive nothing but praise from everyone else in the store for being the hardest and best worker they have ever seen, he still judges me on my hair and tattoos.
I am the only person capable of doing my job - the store manager really has no idea what it entails. Yet, he continually criticizes me and then tries to give me "advice" on how to improve. "Why aren't you straightening the area while you're over here?" Because I don't have nearly enough time to worry about what the product on the shelves looks like. I don't even have enough time to get all the displays set up because about once a week I'm taken from my actual job to do something else, like cashier. You know, the important stuff that utilizes every bit of my potential.

Today he was complaining that a sign I was hanging on the wall (via adhesive) was crooked. It didn't look crooked to me, but I explained that I couldn't reach it to make it perfect, as it was over the sunglasses cases, which was about 4 feet from the closest point the 8-foot ladder could get. We had this conversation:
"You can step on these, you know."
"Dave, those are cardboard."
"Then step on this."
"That's a light. That would end badly." (specifically, it was the casing for a flourescent light that hangs over the sunglass displays to showcase them better.)
"Well you don't have to put any weight on it. Just put your front foot on it so you can reach the wall."
"No. Putting my foot on something in front of me and then being sure to not put any weight on that foot while I'm reaching in front of me will not help me do anything except fall onto the displays from 8 feet high and go to the hospital."
"But the sign is crooked."
Then another coworker who was in the area said "Why don't you do it for her? You could probably reach better than her, so it would look like you want it to."
I said "yeah, there are only 15 of them today, and the store opens in under 2 hours. Knock yourself out. Literally."
After that he left me alone for the time being, but this is the kind of conversation that I have with him every time I see him. You can imagine how irritating this would be when I've been at work since 4am, and he comes waltzing in and pokes around in everyone's business, trying to look useful since he doesn't actually know anything about what we are doing.

I don't get paid enough to put up with that, or for the new shade of "bruise" my legs have become. I've started using Arnica lotion to help heal them, but that stuff stinks to high heaven. Plus there's no point if I just get new bruises every day, even when I am super careful.

The downside is that there are no jobs in this town. I take that back - there are a very few. However, they are all either retail jobs equivalent to what I already have, or things I am in no way qualified for, like "doctor" or "machinist." I don't have the resources needed to learn a new trade, and I already know plenty. So I'll suffer through this job for a bit longer, knowing that I will get glowing recommendations from everyone I work with (except the store manager, whose opinion I won't ask) for suffering through.

ad psychology

2010-08-13T15:43:00.002-04:00

Since I spend my days at work hanging signs, I naturally spend a lot of time looking at the pictures ON the signs. I noticed something this morning. The store (or the modeling agency that the store hired) features models from every age, race, etc.* and a lot of men with what we're supposed to assume are their children. Every single one of the men in pictures with children feature a prominent wedding ring. They are posed in such a way that you always see their left hand, whether it be holding the child, or near their face, or whatever, but it's always there.

I'm not sure if this is to convey a more family friendly message, like "there's no way this stylish young man is sleeping around and irresponsible - he's married and that is his child with his wife. Both of whom he loves very much." Or the fact that women (the primary shoppers and thus the main focus of the ads) are more attracted to a man with a ring. "There must be something good about him, because someone claimed him as her own! I WANT HIM! But I'll settle for that sweater vest, because it looks so good on him, it's bound to look good on that slob I call my boyfriend."

I had a lot more to say on the matter (and did have a whole conversation about it in my head), but that was at 4am and ironically I was more rational then.

I just thought it was interesting to note.

*There are no models with visible tattoos, but that's just about every ad campaign out there. I'm trying to change that, I just need to be featured in some ads. :P

moving again

2010-08-09T16:45:00.002-04:00

We've officially given notice that we're moving out of ths house by October 1. I won't go into why, as I have complained about it many times in this blog, but suffice to say that it's not a place where we can spend our lives. So the search for an apartment is on! There's one that I really have my eyes on, but they need to offer us a special - like $100 off a month or something - in order for us to afford it. At some point as the date approaches, we'll go talk to them and see what they can do for us, gently reminding them that in this housing market, good tenants that pay slightly less are better than no tenants at all. We are planning on staying in Asheville though, at least for the time being.

So we'll see how that goes. It also means we both need to buckle down even more (if that's even possible) and not spend money. We're going to sell things like crazy, and keep working our asses off at our mediocre retail jobs so hopefully we can save up for the deposit on our new place, plus the cost of moving.

As always, you can buy jewelry from my Etsy. I made a really pretty pearl necklace yesterday, see:

You can buy that at the shop. ;)

Regarding the boycott of Target:

2010-08-07T12:55:00.002-04:00

In case you haven't heard, people are trying to boycott Target because the CEO gave money to a Republican candidate in Minnesota, who is apparently the biggest homophobe / anti-gay man you could find. So people are boycotting the entire chain of stores to show how this displeases them as consumers.

But here are some facts you should know.

- Target sponsors Twin Cities Gay Pride every single year (3rd largest in the country, by the way), and at least the San Francisco and NYC AIDS Walks (I'm sure it sponsors more of them, but those are the ones I've been to and so can vouch for personally).

- According to MN Forward Executive Director Brian McClung, Emmer was chosen by the group because of his position on job growth and the state's economy. It is the same reason that the group has been garnering contributions from corporations like Target and Best Buy. IT IS ABOUT ECONOMICS. The guy's homophobic nature didnt come out until later.

- Target does believe that gays should be able to get married.There is an option on Target's wedding registry for gay couples.

- In the store I work in, I can name 6 LGBT employees right off the bat, just in my circle of friends. I know there are more. They are treated exactly the same as everyone else. They are not denied benefits, or paid less, or anything else that could be considered discriminatory.

-Boycotting a large company hurts nobody but the measley hourly workers like me. They give us hours each week based on our sales. So when you boycott the store, it can't pay the employees, gay or otherwise, that you believe you are protecting.

- Like with anything, READ UP ON THE FACTS. I usually don't comment on crap like this, but I'm tired of people treating me like shit because of their half-informed perceptions of where I work.

battle scars

2010-07-28T20:35:00.000-04:00

Work is totally kicking my butt. I spend all day climbing ladders, and not just up down up down up down - I'm always carrying multiple bulky and awkward things with me that then need to be hung in very inconvenient places, in very inconvenient ways. For example, today I was literally crawling on the topmost merchandise shelves while I hung 10 cardboard signs, about 3 feet by 4 feet wide.

I have a major bruise on my arm (which is almost healed, thank goodness), another major bruise on the side of my knee, and too many minor bruises / scrapes / cuts to even count. I'm lucky I don't also have a fat lip and/or black eye because a different sign fell and hit me in the face today. (This one was only about 4x1 feet though.) Jay says people are going to think he beats me. Though honestly all the people at work (ie all my friends in this town) know what kind of crap I have to go through to get my job done, so they won't think that.

My whackadoodle sleeping schedule doesn't help either. I get about 5 hours of sleep at night, then usually about 2 more hours when I come home. My old job wasn't very demanding, so I could do it tired or sick or hungover or any other way that was me less than perfect. But I am frickin exhausted every single day with this one. And since my safety is always at risk (and sometimes others' too, since there are customers and other people in the store when I do some of this) I can't be retarded. Also, my store doesn't have workman's comp insurance (which is RIDICULOUS!) and I don't have my own insurance, so if something more than a bruise or a small conk on the head happens, I'm fucked.

I'm not complaining about my job - I'm glad to have it. I guess I'm just not used to the whole "physically demanding labor" thing. And if you ever want to know exactly what it is that I do, go into any one of a certain bullseye-themed department stores and take a close look at all the signage. It hangs from the ceiling, it's on walls, it's behind product... there really is way more to this than you would initially think.

weekend ups and downs

2010-07-26T15:56:00.003-04:00

Since I moved to Asheville a year ago, I've been sicker more than I have in like 10 years. I've had to leave work early twice, once to food poisoning and once to general dizziness / nausea. And that's not counting all the times I've been sick NOT at work.

This weekend was about the worst it's been. I was off work and we headed out to Bele Chere, which is the biggest street faire in the southeast. You can drink beer in the streets while perusing lots of local wares and food. There are lots of concerts, and they are all free. It's generally a good time.

I was having a good time, but with a few irritants. One, I was going to buy a pretty rainbow tie-dyed dress, but the one I wanted was on a mannequin. I went to the shop guy with the cash in my hand and brought him over so he could get it for me. He went about taking it off the mannequin, and then handed it to someone else, who then proceeded to stretch it as far as she could and put it on over her clothes. Now I can't blame her for that second part, I was planning to do the same thing. But the fact that she stretched it way further than she needed to (and she was already a bigger girl than me) turned me off of that dress. I'm not going to pay good money for something that would have fit me. And the shop guy totally ignored me, even though *I* was the one who made him get off his lazy ass so I could buy something. So he didn't get any of my money that day.

The other irritants were minor - things like normal businesses raising their prices for the festival (which didn't faze me because I had a buy-one-get-one free coupon anyway, so that was actually the best time for me to use it). Luckily I had enough good friends (and good beer) with me that the day wasn't ruined.

Last year we had gone to the festival, and there was a chick selling handmade chokers / bracelets / anklets out of some natural hemp-like material coated in wax (which makes it so you can wear the piece for the rest of your life, showering, swimming, etc.). I really really wanted one, but we had literally just moved here so we had zero dollars. She didn't have a website or anything and was from Florida, so I couldn't buy one later. But the same girl was there again this year, and so I got myself an anklet with the money that would have gone to the dress jerks.

Then after a full day, we headed home. I got a pretty bad headache, so I went straight to bed. A few hours later, I woke up wth an upset tummy. Little did I know that I would not be going back to sleep that night. Instead, I would spend the entire night vomiting. I'm not sure what caused it, as I only ate one thing that my friends didn't eat, and there wasn't any food left in my system by the time it started coming back up anyway. I did have a lot of beer while walking around on a hot day, but I kept properly hydrated and protected from the sun, even seeking out AC a few times. But whatever the reason, I sure paid for it. It was the awesome kind of sick that when I thought I was done, I'd go lay down and try to sleep, only to have to get back up a few minutes later.

Luckily I was off the next day, or I would have had to call in. I felt better, but not great, but I was done puking. However, since I had no sleep, I was utterly exhausted and spent the next day recouping from what could have only been a poisoning.

job update

2010-07-06T19:42:00.002-04:00

I'm digging my new job. Basically I know what needs to get done each day when I go in, and I set off by myself and go do it. The hours are flexible, too. This morning I knew I had a lot of Back to School signs that needed to be assembled and hung from the ceiling, so I came in at 4am instead of the regular 6, to ensure that I could get (at least the majority of it) done before the store opened at 8. On Sunday I ended up going home sick after only an hour of work, so I can come in Friday to make up the hours. This is good for both my workload and my paycheck.

The only really tough part is that I was kind of thrown into this position in the middle of everything. The original signer left unexpectedly, and the guy that "took over" for him only did so a little bit - he never left his other position. So Not only do I have now have to set holidays and the regular stuff coming in every week, I have to play catch up from everything that wasn't done before.

But I have the feeling that once I get it under control, it will stay that way and I'll really enjoy it.

great day

2010-06-30T19:03:00.000-04:00

Earlier, I was looking for a new job. I think my current job realized that, and has since done everything possible to keep me. I've been getting more hours. They gave me a promotion and a raise. A few months ago I was the Customer Service Champion. And today, I found out that I was unanimously voted the store's Top Contributor. The thing that makes this last stand out is that normally each department head chooses one person. It just so happens that this time, when the first person said who he chose (me), everyone groaned because they had ALL chosen me! That's right, I am so damn useful that I not only help out in every department, but I am the best at everything.

Besides bragging rights, being Top Contributor also comes with presents. I'm supposed to get one $5-10 gift of my choosing from the store. But since they all chose me, they all get me a gift. :) The first gift I got was a 2 month WoW subscription card. That's pretty rad because it's well above the price limit, but the guy (who is also my boss in my new position - coincidence? I think not!) knew that my account expired right after I got my first 80, so he actually bought it for me with his own money. (I'm sure it also doesn't hurt that he's a player too, so he understands.)

The second gift was from the manager of the Grocery section. He was like "what do you want? Some ice cream and doritos?" I didn't have to get something from his section, but obviously he knows me too well. :P I just bought ice cream yesterday, so I took him up on the doritos and also got myself some Annie's mac n cheese, which I needed to buy today anyway. Saved me about $8, so that's cool.

I know I have more prizes coming, so I've started picking out stuff from the store. I mean, there's always stuff I want anyway, so it's pretty easy. But I'm excited for 1) yay free stuff and 2) my job is actually rewarding my hard work and trying to keep me happy so they don't lose me.
:D

help a talented artist

2010-06-29T14:45:00.002-04:00

Pardon the multiple postings in one day, but Jason wrote this blog and I feel that I needed to share it with my internet friends. Even though I share the exact same sentiment, and Jay worded it better than I could.

*****************************************************
I count Aaron Wood as one of my very good friends and one of Asheville's (if not NC's) greatest export. An amazing musician, soulful singer, and dedicated father, he's been trying to make it in the music business for the last 20 years.

He was about to give up entirely, he had resigned himself to selling all of his instruments and working at a job he hated just to keep a roof over his families head and food on the table, when he met my sister. My sister Jessica has a million contacts and a lust for life that she wanted to share with Woody, so she called in a ton of favors from friends and business partners to put a few of Woodys songs together professionally.. and now the rest is up to the world.

Using the business incubator Kickstarter.com, they've put together a business plan to make a full blown record and introduce Woody to the world.

I post this here because there is a special incentive for regional fans. Donations of $25 or more get you invited to a huge party on the 4th of July. Delicious food and drink included.. with an in ground pool and 40 foot slip and slide, where Woody and some of Avilles finest musicians will play all day while you play in the sun.

Please see the link here: Kickstarter.com and watch the video and read the story, and if you like it, please tell your friends. I believe talent like Aaron's should not be wasted and will be donating myself after my next paycheck.

Thanks for your time.

You and Aaron "Woody" Wood make an album together.

*****************************************

ipod

2010-06-29T14:03:00.003-04:00

I've recently decided to buy a new ipod. Mine is like 5 years old, and since I listen to music way more than I watch tv, I need more space. And, due to my recent busy schedule at work (read: picking up shifts so I don't get a day off) I've got a little bit of extra money. So I'm busy checking out ebay and craigslist because even though I can afford a small purchase, I can't afford the $200 or so needed for a new one.

I also don't need one of those fancy new ipods. I have no use for a videocamera, or even video capability. And thanks to my connections at the local mobile phone store, I'll have myself a smartphone in about 3 months, so I don't need an ipod touch with "app" capability (cappability). I need something to play music in the background while I do everything from driving to making jewelry* to cleaning the house, to playing videogames.

My old ipod still works fine. But it gets in "moods" where it will only play certain artists. (I always have it on shuffle, but sometimes you wouldn't know it.) Since it's only 2gb of space, that means I hear the same songs a lot. Obviously I like all the songs on there, since they came from my own collection, but I also haven't changed them in over 2 years. The story behind that is that I hate itunes, so when I left NYC I didn't bother installing it on my new computer. That also means that any new music I've accumulated has not been added, or any songs that I left off because they were too quiet to hear in The Big City could be added now. And I figure if I'm going to get itunes (and I hear it is much better now, ie less computer - breaking) then I might as well get a new ipod. Shutup, it's good logic.

And yes, I realize I don't have to go with apple brand, but they are so widespread that I feel like ALL the accessories I might buy, speakers or cases or whatever, are made for ipods. And since my last one worked / works so well, I've got no problem with it.

*ahem, oh hai, I've gotten back into that whole making jewelry for sale thing.

there's nothing urgent about urgent care

2010-06-28T17:26:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I had to take my boyfriend to Urgent Care. He hadn't been feeling well for a while, and all signs pointed to an ear infection. It finally got so bad that he agreed to go to the doctor.

Since I've dealt with the inevitable waiting room before, I brought my DS to play, while he just sat next to me trying not to throw up (and failing). But I also had the good fortune to sit next to The Most Obnoxious Woman In North Carolina. She spent the entire 3 hours that we were in Waiting Room A yakking loudly on her cell phone. She used her time to call literally everyone she knew to tell them that she was in EC. So I got to hear her story about 80 billion times.

She ran outside "real quick" to grab something, and didn't bother putting shoes on. Then when she ran up the back steps, she got a big splinter! A splinter the size of a matchstick, she repeatedly claimed. And yes, she tried getting it out by using pliers and even an exacto knife. This is where she would laugh and go "I know! I'm so lame!"

Yes. Yes she was.

I didn't pity her at all, though I did feel sorry for her 16-17 year old daughter, who had been forced to drive her mother to EC. In fact, she would rather wait in the car in the heat for god knows how long, then sit and hear her mom complain about it more. This gave the mom ample chance to talk about her. At one point Splinter Lady was on the phone with her own mom complaining that said daughter wanted to "run away" to college in Florida. But the out of state tuition costs are ridiculous! So she was going to "gently convince" her that she should stay at home, get an Associate's Degree from the local community college, and then transfer to NCUA. I understand the mom's logic, what with expenses and all, but I also feel for the daughter wanting to get far far away from this train wreck.

I was so glad when they finally called Jason's name. Not just because it meant we were "almost" done, but because I didn't have to listen to this woman talking about her giant splinter anymore. You know, the piece of wood the size of a matchstick stuck in her foot. That she tried and tried to get out herself, but failed. So she had to come to EC. And call all her friends. And annoy des for 3 hours.

irresponsibility

2010-06-22T12:10:00.003-04:00

There are 4 people on my team at work. One moved away, and my boss decided not to replace him so that the remaining 3 of us could have more hours. That's awesome, we need the hours and we can still do our job without one more guy. Then I got the new position (which starts next week), and obviously they need to replace me, because they can't do the job with just 2 people, and I probably do more than my share of work anyway.

But now it looks like they might have to replace yet another team member. He was scheduled for Friday, Saturday, Sunday off. Lucky bastard gets a 3 day weekend. But he called out on Thursday. We had our suspicions about that, as it's probably nice to have a four day weekend PLUS this guy is a big soccer fan and there were 4 games on that day. Convenient, we all thought. Then the HR guy at our store saw him at a local baseball game that night. You know, because he was sick.

So Monday rolls around, and 7am comes, and only two of us are there. Mister Four Day weekend calls and says he's going to be 15 minutes late. (Please note, by 7am we are already supposed to be starting work.) Those 15 minutes roll by, and he's a no show. And in fact, we never heard from him for the rest of the day. Management actually marked him as a no-call,no-show since saying you're going to be 15 minutes late is way different than calling out completely. He must have had a nice 5 day weekend. I mean, I'll feel bad if something actually happened to him during those 15 minutes, but given his record I feel that maybe his job was getting in the way of his World Cup viewing.

However, we got revenge on him today (in theory). It's my scheduled day off, and the other guy is taking his belated Father's Day today (with permission, since Tuesdays are pretty slow). That means IF this other guy finally decides to come back to work, he'll be all by himself. He'll know how it feels to not come even close t finishing the day's task (yet still have the big boss man expecting it). But like I said, that's IF he shows up.

new job position

2010-06-11T20:38:00.003-04:00

Today I was given the news that I got the new position at work. Now instead of beng in charge of inventory and stocking the store, I'll be hanging all the signs. The hours are pretty much the same, and I get a bit of a raise. Every little bit helps!

However, I don't feel as excited as I should. Why? Because I was the only one to apply to the job. They had to give it to me. There were 3 job openings all at the same time: this one, a team lead, and a senior team lead. But the other jobs are at the other store in town, and you are only allowed to apply to one job. Frankly, I didn't even know about the other two, or maybe I would have applied for the one I'm (semi) qualified for. Everyone else did. Seriously, a large portion of my coworkers put in for them. I guess I'm just less ambitious than them? I don't know.

My current supervisor was sad and fake mad at me. But he is one of the people that applied for the senior team lead, so he can't say too much. He knows I need the money, and rather than leave the store completely, I'm just moving off his team. We can still hang out, but he's sad that losing me means more work for him.

When I was given the news, I was assured that it's because I'm so awesome (her words), so that makes me feel a little better. Anyway, I start my new position in 2 or 3 weeks, so I'll report back then. Hopefully the raise will be enough to start changing my life, but if not, I'll still keep my options open.

disasterous relief

2010-06-09T17:04:00.004-04:00

I don't know if any men read this blog, but if they do, be warned - "female problems" discussed herein.

The good news is that I'm not pregnant. The bad news is that I found this out at work. Wearing light colored work pants. Working a register. With an hour left in my shift. And no way to combat it.

I knew it was coming eventually. Well, you know, hoped it was coming. But I didn't feel the regular sick that I normally do, so I didn't really think about it. That is, until around 5pm last night. Sudden cramps of a certain kind, which I had to pretend weren't happening, what with the customers and not being able to leave. I held out for about half an hour until I finally called the supervisor over and said "can you please cover for me for one minute while I run to the bathroom?" I think I said it with enough urgency that as a fellow female of the species, I think she understood. "Run, go! Run!" she said. And I did.

Since I didn't have any um... feminine hygiene products, I was forced to improvise. Without going into too much detail, there was much wadding, stuffing, and padding with toilet paper. Also there was praying - praying that my light pants would hold up until 6 when I could rush home. I was uncomfortable for my last bit of work, but at least I didn't have to worry about another mouth to feed on our already very tight budget.

When I finally got off the clock, I had a message from Jay saying he was just down the street cashing in a coupon for some free food. I told him that I really needed to go home first, and luckily he is a mature enough young man to immediately understand what I meant. We discussed it, and I decided that since I haven't been out in a while, I would just stop by a store and buy a few things. After all, as Jay so wisely pointed out, it's not like they go bad. (And for those of you wondering, my pants were still wearable.)

So after a brief stop at the drugstore and an immediate run to the restaurant bathroom, we sat down and had a nice dinner. It gave me a story to tell, and all was right in the world again.

anyone?

2010-05-28T15:59:00.002-04:00

So, I'm thinking of scrapping this blog. I barely write in it any more, and blogger is a butthole with uploading pictures. I don't know if I just don't have any deep thoughts or amusing stories to share any more, or if I've given in to the blog being a "novelty." I have kept writing for like 4 years though, so that's something.

Most of my readers are my friends on facebook too, so they get all my interesting factoids throughout the day. But does anyone read this? Would you miss it if it were gone? Please leave me a comment so I know what the public thinks.

kthxbai

memorbilia

2010-05-25T16:42:00.003-04:00

About a year and a half ago, my dad passed away. My stepmom recently decided to go through things, and the only thing I asked for was this:

It's a real tarantula, encased in lucite or something. (I included a bottle cap so you could see the size. It's bigger than my hand.) I'm not sure why I wanted it. I mean obviously it reminds me of my dad, but it was just something that was in my house growing up. I don't know where he got it or when, but I do know that he used to terrorize his little sister with it, so it's at least 50 years old.

So I have that now.

appreciation

2010-05-05T18:17:00.006-04:00

Today I had my review at work. I think it is technically supposed to be done every 6 months, but it's a little late and who's counting?

Even though I know I'm an awesome employee, I still had that brief moment of fear when they called me in. Emotional Girl Brain was expecting to hear something like "You're still doing ok, but not as well as we'd hoped. Your performance has dropped since last review." and so on and so on. Logical Robot Brain tried to argue that I had just been named Customer Service Champion for the month of March and am currently "a person of interest" for a new, higher paying position, but still the fear. You know how Emotional Girl Brain overpowers Logical Robot Brain sometimes.

But of course the fear was unfounded. I was given the rating of "effective" because apparently you have to work there a year before being "excellent," even if everyone in the store knows the real score, which was explained to me apologetically. But store policy or whatever. I was also given a raise. It's a small raise, only like an extra dollar a day, but something anyway. Then I was told how awesome I am. Let me quote:
*ahem*
You are prompt to work and bring a can-do attitude to work each day. Your infectious friendly attitude helps keep other team members positive and goal-oriented. ...Your outgoing personality and positive attitude is reflected in how well you serve guests....The sense of urgency when you are working s reflected in how dependable and quick you work...

(I took out some of the more store-specific comments, but you get the picture.) I was also informed that my immediate supervisor may be leaving at some point, and I am a shoo-in for his job. Keep in mind this is the person giving me the review.

So, what have we learned today? Recognition for being awesome is, well, awesome.

And just because it fits the theme, the Dollyrots. Blogger won't let me embed the video because it gets joy ut of pissing me off.

ps - thank you to everyone who donated to the AIDS Walk. I raised $380!

stupid tummy

2010-04-22T17:30:00.003-04:00

I'm having body image issues. Not like I've turned anorexic or bulemic or anything, but I am not happy with my tummy. I know I'm not overweight, but I have some pudge, a pooch, love handles, and a muffin top. Now before anyone jumps in and says "no! You're skinny! Shut up bitch!" remember that you don't see me naked or wearing certain things. I do, and am unhappy with what I see.

I realize that as I get older my metabolism slows down. But I have been doing my Wii Fit for like 5 months and haven't noticed a change. I do yoga, aerobics / cardio, and targeted tummy exercises, and have been hovering around the same few pounds since I started. I think I am building more muscle, especially in my legs and tummy, but that layer of "womb protecting pudge" is still there.

I'm no health nut, but my diet isn't terrible. Though I'm not a vegetarian anymore, I still don't eat red meat or most pork products. I eat lean chicken and turkey, along with lots of fruits & vegetables, yogurt, granola, pasta, and yes, dollar pizza and Taco Bell. (Hey, I never said I was perfect.) I've even recently started taking a weight loss supplement - no, not the kind that kills you. This one is a powder I pour in my water (which I drink a ton of anyway) and is basically caffinated berry extract. It is NOT an appetite suppressant but is supposed to help me burn more calories and speed up my metabolism.

So I feel discouraged at my waistline. I feel like my efforts are not paying off. Arg.

PS - AIDS WALK

yay, work

2010-04-14T20:46:00.004-04:00

Recently I had been feeling a bit "blah" about work, probably because the weather is nice and I had a week off not too long ago. But the last few days have been making me feel great.

Monday, I was asked to switch departments. The pay would be better, but the hours would suck (4am to noon every day). I'd be working with one friend again, but I would leave the friends on my current team. I decided I'd ask if I could do maybe half and half, as the extra money would be nice.

Yesterday I was stopped when I went to clock out for lunch because they needed to take my picture. This picture:

Apparently during the last People in Charge Meeting, I was voted in. It's kinda like Employee of the Month, so I'm pretty stoked.

Then today, I was again asked how I like my current position. I laughed and asked if this was about the same thing as Monday. They said "not really" and proceeded to explain this other position to me. It wouldn't be a promotion in the titular sense, but there would be more money. My schedule would almost be the same as it is now, just an hour earlier. I would be my own team, working all by myself. I'd still get to see my friends, just not work side by side with them. So I'm going to go for it. I still have to "apply" for it, but something tells me I'll get it.

Jay has been having similar experiences at work, so it looks like we might be staying around this area for a while.

ps - Don't forget to donate to my AIDS Walk.

new tattoos!

2010-04-07T18:30:00.005-04:00

So I got a tattoo on my face. Watch the videos (less than 2 minutes total) and notice how nervous I am before the needle actually touches my skin.

Watch video 1 here. (Either blogger or I am too retarded to upload or embed videos.)
Part 2 is right after that, except you missed me say "Wow, that doesn't hurt at all!"
Watch video 2 here.

And it's true, it didn't hurt at all. That's not me being all hardcore either - this is the first tattoo that I could have gone to sleep during. And the needle didn't go that deep into my skin either, so my skull was not rattling, which I was kinda worried about. I imagine there are some spa treatments or something that feel like that.Also: it barely bled and it healed in like 2 days. I just have to keep it out of the sun for 30 days as a precaution, but that's no prob.

About 10 days later, I went back to get it touched up. The color had faded a lot and lost a bit of its star shape. People didn't notice it unless I pointed out. (Damn my awesome healing power!) So I headed on back to the studio to see what could be done. Even Brian the artist was surprised at it's decomposition. Luckily he had an opening when I popped in (and remembered me), so we took about 2 minutes and worked on my face again.This time, it DID hurt. Not a lot, but more than the absolute nothing I felt last time. It made my eye water, which didn't happen before. The needle definitely went deeper into the skin, and he used a darker color. This time it should stick better, but if it doesn't, I am welcome to come back and get it retouched as many times as I need to.

I also got this, an art-noveau moon with a ribbon and spiderweb. It's a twinsie tat with my BFF, and she designed it. (Mine is on top.)

This one hurt, especially when he used a very fine needle like on the spiderweb. And of course the inner wrist is a pretty sensitive area.
Here's a picture of me getting it done. We took "real" pictures and "fake" pictures, but this one she took when I didn't know she was going to.

So, many thanks to Brian Reaid at Ace of Spades Tattoo in Asheville. He was super awesome and did an awesome job. He is super cool, and wants his work to be awesome. He also wants his customers to have no regrets, so he would rather fix a lighter tattoo multiple times than have the customer sad that they have a tattoo (on their face!) that's too dark. I definitely recommend going there, and will go there for any future Asheville and / or North Carolina ink.

ps - AIDS Walk

gas karma

2010-03-22T15:32:00.003-04:00

Today I rolled up to the gas station and went to put my credit card in. But the machine was beeping, and something was already stuck in there. A credit card. Apparently the beeping wasn't enough to remind someone to NOT forget their credit card. I don't even know how that happens - my fingers don't even leave my card when it's swiped.

But I took the card and proceeded into the gas station store with it. The thought did cross my mind briefly to go on a shopping spree (read: doritos), or at least buy my own gas with it, but of course I didn't. Karma would like it better that way.

As I was driving home with my full tank of gas (that *I* paid for) I thought that maybe the card was left there as a good samaritan gesture - pay for your gas with it and leave it for the next guy. Not only did I ruin it by turning in the card before getting my gas with it, but that wouldn't happen.

Oh well.

Karma better pay me back good.

It's that time of year again!

2010-03-15T15:52:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm doing the AIDS Walk again. This will be my 7th time walking to raise money - I've done three in San Francisco, two in NYC, and one in Detroit. I didn't get to walk last year because of the whole "moving to NC" thing. (I moved before Detroit's, and after Charlotte's.) But this year I'm back in the swing of things.

Not that I need a personal reason to walk, but my uncle had AIDS and died when I was ten years old. That was almost 20 years ago, and there are millions of people that are still directly affected by AIDS. While this walk benefits people on a local level, it's still for the greater world good.

This is the one cause that I've really devoted myself to, and over the years I've raised several thousand dollars. So I'm asking for your help. I do all the walking, and you do some financial giving. Go to my personal donation page and give any amount you can, even only a few dollars. Every bit helps. If you don't want to do it electronically, just ask for my address to mail a check to (made out to AIDS Walk Charlotte).

Ok, enough preaching. You know where I stand on the subject, and if you would be so kind as to pass the message along, it would be greatly appreciated. :)

ps - for some reason this walk is shorter than the other ones I've done (2 miles instead of the regular 6.2 miles / 10k) but it will be just as important and fun.

http://aidswalkcharlotte.org/desm

spring, is that you?

2010-03-08T15:07:00.003-05:00

It's 67 degrees in Asheville today, the warmest it's been in months. I had the windows down and no jacket on my way home from work, and now at home I have as many windows open as I can. (We still have some of them winterproofed, so that means I can't even open the blinds, which is a bummer.)

I hope this weather sticks around. I am so sick of snow, I die a little more each time the temperature drops. At work we've gotten in beach towels, swimsuits, summer toys, pool chemicals, garden stuff, and other things that make me forget how cold it is outside. I haven't bought any of this fun stuff yet, because I don't want to get my hopes up. However, the time doth approach nigh, I am sure of it.

Also this weather reminds me (like I needed reminding) that I need to move somewhere warm. I'm happier and have more energy when the sun is shining, so it's really better for the whole world. (To a point... there's a line crossed that can involve sunburns and humidity that we won't mention.) Still not sure where we're going to move, but in my fantasy it has nice year-round springtime.

For now, I will just enjoy today.

khaki pants

2010-02-27T16:17:00.002-05:00

At my job, I have to wear khaki pants. I can wear whatever kind i want, but they have to be khaki. Thing is, no khaki pants look good on anyone. Some people can rock some styles more than others, but nobody ever looks stunning. I don't complain because I don't look hot - I don't need those creepy hillbillies drooling over me. I complain because I hate buying them. Since I wear them every day, they get pretty dirty pretty quick. That means a lot of washing. Which means more wear & tear than on my non-work clothes (which I rarely get to wear anymore anyway).

I had been buying all my clothes at a thrift store. I'm already poor, so there's no need to be extravagant with purchsases that will just have to be replaced in a few months anyway. Unfortunately, this means that the clothes don't come new. i.e. they already have some wear & tear on them. So when one of my two pairs ripped the other day before work, I was disappointed but not surprised.

That day, I headed back out to the thrift store. The choices were few, but I picked out 2 of the "best" pairs of pants they had, spent my $8, and went on my way. I washed them when I got home, and went to put on a pair this morning for work. The pants are already ugly - that's a given. But the first pair I put on literally had their "waist" over my ribcage. And the legs were long enough to go all the way ver my feet. Unwearable in a job that requires lots of moving around. The second pair may have worked if I was a few pounds lighter. The waist was at the right spot, but buttoning the clasp was a challenge.

Resigned, I put on my remaining old pair and headed to work. I know I should have tried them on at the thrift store, but it was so hot and crowded in there that I just wanted to get out. Luckily my work sells the appropriate pants. I had given up on thrift stores because I wanted something that actually FIT. I picked out 4 pairs, tried them all on, and took the one I liked best. I didn't know it at the time, but it was the most expensive pair. (They were all between $21-$27 so it's not that big of a difference.) I hate spending that much money on one pair of pants that will probably need to be replaced before the year is up, and they're not even that cute.

If they're going to make us wear uniforms, they should at least GIVE us the clothes. They know we don't make enough money for this!

more choices now with an edit

2010-02-24T16:37:00.004-05:00

So I've made yet another life decision. (Isn't it fun trying to keep up?) I definitely need to go back to school. It keeps nagging at me and nagging at me until even my poor subconscious has to scream for me to go back to school.

We're definitely moving away from Asheville, and were thinking Raleigh (since that would be the most do-able). However, about half an hour away from Raleigh is Duke University. They offer a PhD in literature (though not comparative literature, but that's ok) and also a Master's in Teaching. The MAT is basically a paid internship - while I take a few classes, I teach English in one of the local high schools. The program takes a year, and I could always jump into the PhD program upon completion.

I do want to teach college someday, because if I'm going to teach literature I want to teach it to people that WANT to be there and discuss it. Since college students have more of a choice than high schoolers in the matter, they're the logical choice. Soon enough I'll have to think about getting three letters of recommendation, transcripts, and retaking the GRE (the score lasts 5 years but that date is soon approaching for me), and all that fun stuff that is made more fun by not having been in school in forever.

So what do you guys think? I know a few of my readers / friends are teachers, so I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

EDITED TO ADD:
So I just found out I missed the deadline for this. It was January 30.Oh well that gives me another year to prepare right?

v-day recap

2010-02-17T15:18:00.000-05:00

My Valentine's Day was good. Jay and I both had to work all day. I worked a double because I only have half days this week. It's nice to be but by noon, but my bills are crying loudly. The second half of my day I was working as a cashier, and with the combination of a consumerist holiday and the threat of more snow (and because people in Asheville are retarded) it was stupid busy.

When I left work I was completely exhausted, but I opened my front door to find a beautiful candlelight dinner. Jay had gotten takeout from Outback, so I had a yummy chicken salad to nom while he had a big fat steak. We left the tv and computers off and out of sight, and had good "us" time. Really it was no different than any other day, except for the candles.

He didn't have to do anything for V-Day because it's not a big deal to me, and he knew that, but he did something anyway. And that's why I love him. He makes all my worries go away, at least temporarily, and that makes my heart smile.
/cheesy sap
/sappy cheese

people watching

2010-02-11T17:30:00.008-05:00

Because I have nothing of interest going on in my own life, I need to write about the people I see.

1. Today at work, I was helping a customer. While I was talking to her, another customer ~~walked~~ stumbled in between us. With half closed eyes and an unsteady gait, she said "where would I find dresses? Like a dress that you would get married in. But not for like a big wedding, for a little courthouse mumblemumblemumble..." which is when I interrupted her to tell her that all the clothes in the store were over there. No, there aren't any semi-formal dresses anywhere else in the store.

Now, I'm not one to judge someone for buying a new dress for her courthouse wedding. Shoot, I'll probably end up like that myself. But I will at least be sober for it.

2. Tuesday was Denny's free breakfast day. Tuesday was also both my and Jay's day off, so you know we were all about free breakfast less than a mile from our house. There were signs posted all over the restaurant that you don't get a choice in your free breakfast - everyone gets 2 pancakes, 2 sausage links, 2 bacons, and 2 scrambled eggs. Anything else you order WILL NOT BE FREE. This includes coffee or other drinks, or eggs prepared any other way. Works fine for me, I wanted scrambled eggs anyway (and Jay got my meats of course). We also both had a side order of hash browns and coffee, which we understood would cost us money.

The tables next to us were both annoying. One was a family-type unit of 6, and the children were the most well behaved ones. The other table was having a pre-meeting meeting to work out their strategy on what they were going to say to the potential client. (Gems like "40 per cent of Americans choose restaurants by flipping open the yellow pages and picking at random." *)

But we ate our mostly-free breakfast without incident, and built a bit of a repoir with the waiter. I felt sorry for him and all the other staff because even though they were incredibly busy, it was teeming with people there for a free breakfast. Not to generalize too much - remember, I too was there for a free breakfast - but these people wanted EVERYTHING to be free, including the tip. Remember how I mentioned all those signs posted? The family next to us still didn't get it. And when it was explained to them, they ordered water. But I guess all the explaining didn't help, because while I finished eating Jay went up to pay. The family was in line to pay as well, but apparently they were cheap AND impatient, because they left the line and exited the restaurant. Without paying. For what little money they owed. (And yes, I saw them eat non-free food, so I know they owed money.)

I was chatting with the waiter when Jay came back. He told the waiter what happened, and the waiter said "That's ok. I got their dirty old hat that they left behind!" We all had a good laugh. And yes, we left him a very nice tip. :)

* We actually kinda know the guy they were going to meet, but not well enough to warn him of what lay in store for him.

cat story

2010-02-06T11:15:00.003-05:00

The other night, we heard the cat making some noise in the other room. Just like with a child, suspicious noises are cause for investigation. I went into the kitchen, and Mecrutio was sitting on the rug, all nonchalant-like, so I shrugged it off and went back into the living room.

Later when we were heading to bed, I noticed there was a towel crumpled in the middle of the floor. "What's this doing here?" I asked out loud as I picked it up. It was then that I saw a pile of cat puke (and by this I mean undigested cat food). Apparently the noises we had heard earlier were the cat eating too fast then running around like a monkey, which caused him to throw up, and apparently find means of hiding it from us.

Crafty little bugger, that one.

Maybe it's because I have a headache

2010-02-04T14:59:00.002-05:00

Today was definitely one of those days. I had a few doozies.

Like this conversation:
-Excuse me, where is the perfume?
-Just around this corner. (about 10 feet away - easily visible if anyone had bothered to look.)
*a few minutes later, same guy*
-Excuse me, is there someone that can help me?
-Sure what do you need?
-I'm looking for Halle Berry's perfume, Orchid. There's this display of it here, and it has Halle Berry's picture, and pictures of orchids, and a picture of the perfume, but I can't find the perfume.
-Isn't this it? The thing in the picture that is ON the cardboard display that you were just pointing at? That is literally right under your nose?
-Oh, is that it? I didn't know what I was looking for.
-Well see, you'd have to actually look for that statement to be true. (Ok, I didn't say that part.)
-Great, well where do I take this to be gift wrapped?
-We don't do anything like that here, sorry. (But not really sorry.)
-Well will you gift wrap it for me?
-Sorry sir, I have neither the time nor the resources to do that. (I briefly considered saying yes and then charging him a bunch, but that wouldn't solve the "resources" problem.)
-Oh... well where ARE gift wrapping materials?
- Just at the end of this aisle here. (Another thing you would have seen if you did that whole "looking" thing.)

Or this conversation:
-Excuse me, in the paper you advertised Glad Flex trash bags for $9.99. Where would those be?
*I tell her where to go, and it's pretty much on the exact opposite side of the store, as for some reason she asked me this while in the electronics department*
-I looked down this way, but they weren't there.
-No, they wouldn't be that way. They are over there.
-But I looked down this way, and I didn't see them. So does that mean you don't have them? Even though they were in the paper?
-No, that means you weren't looking in the right place. I'm trying to tell you where they are.
-The Glad Flex bags? That's the kind I mean though.
-YES I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. PLEASE LISTEN TO THE WORDS I AM SAYING. THEY ARE OVER THERE.
-But I looked this way... well, thank you anyway.
*and she proceeds to walk back the way she already looked - which in case you didn't get it was not the way I was telling her to go*

I also got to find used gum stuck to a sign. WTF would make someone deliberately put gum on a store sign? In addition to the usual crap I have to put up with at work, like finding two 2-liter soda bottles laying on their side in a completely different area of the store then they came from. I mean, I can understand not putting them back where they go, but did you just throw them or what?

Then on my way home, I was yelling at other cars because nobody knows how to drive in this town. Things like driving 40mph on the freeway (which is still set at 55) and changing lanes without looking or using your blinker are pretty standard. It's when they do this all at once that things start to get hairy. Luckily for me and my car, it's also pretty standard to not be in a lane unless other people are there already, so I was able to swerve. Anyway, lots of stuff happened that involved several jackasses pulling this crap all at once and me narrowly avoiding 2 accidents within 30 seconds of each other.

Now I'm home, safe and alone, and watching Futurama and eating mac n cheese. I'd like to think that I was easily irritated because I forgot to take my allergy medicine and had a headache, but we all know that things wouldn't have turned out any differently.

snowed in!

2010-01-30T21:21:00.002-05:00

I was off work before the "blizzard of '10" struck yesterday, and was off today. However, I was scheduled for my bi-weekly 4am Sunday shift. I called in to work explaining that I wouldn't be in. I feel bad for calling out, but:

1) I can't make it to a major road without great difficulty
2) I don't feel comfortable driving in the snow
3) I already have no faith in the other drivers in this town - I don't need to add snow & ice into the mix.

I will miss the money though, but I might be able to make up the hours. If not, well to be honest I'd rather be short on my bills than add more bills to my repetoir in car repairs or medical needs. (Or shoot, even the inconvenience of having to walk uphill in the snow for some miles, which is a distinct possibility since it happened last time it snowed.)

So anyway, I should be sleeping so I could get up at 3am, but instead I'm going to sleep normal hours and see what the roads are like tomorrow in the daylight. It is supposed to snow more tonight, but then that's it. So we'll see.

Have I mentioned lately that I would prefer to live where it does NOT snow? Or if it has to snow, I want to at least live in a place that is prepared for it.

cold snap

2010-01-28T15:25:00.003-05:00

The propane is out. AGAIN. Which means there is no heat in my house. AGAIN. This is the 3rd time this winter that we've had to pay hundreds of dollars to have the giant propane tank refilled. Where are we getting all this money to throw away on heat? Well we just don't get to pay our other bills, like gas in the car or phone bills of course. Heat is defnitely high on the priority list because, well, we need it to live. And there's the cat to think about too.

So we're definitely not staying in this house. So many things have gone wrong since we moved in that I can't even begin to list them all. Remember how it took us 2 months to move in because of the massive flea infestation? Yeah that was a sign that we should have noticed.

Anyway, if we're gonna move, we might as well move out of town. We're considering our options, but we will need jobs and housing wherever we go. Plus the cost of moving will be a bit limiting. But we need to make it happen. We won't be moving for several months, but we are definitely not spending another winter in this house. Oh, did I mention that it's supposed to be another "blizzard" this weekend? That means the town will shut down. And we'll freeze to death.

So now you know.

On an unrelated note, don't you want to buy some jewelry? Or anything else that I can provide for you?

whoa there, alarm clock

2010-01-26T19:22:00.003-05:00

Today I saw something at work that was so offensive, I can't even believe it. It's a product we sell, a talking alarm clock.
Every time you press snooze, it talks in a different voice. Make that a different accent. Every stereotype you can think of, saying stereotypical things. And it's not marketed as a joke like you would find in some stores.

-A Mexican saying something about pistolas.
-An Italian threatening to shoot you if you press snooze again.
-An Indian saying "please to be waking up now, thank you!" almost Apu-style.

That's where I walked away. My coworker stuck around to hear more, and apparently there is a lisping man saying "time to wake up, sweetie!" Your day would be faaaabulous after that, no?

I'm not going to bother to link to it, or even buy it to show people. (I don't want to reward the people making and selling this by giving them money.) I'm just amazed such a product exists, and that we sell it. Only in the South.

we'll see

2010-01-19T11:41:00.003-05:00

So yesterday was my interview for that new restaurant. I got home from work about 2:30ish, and immediately re-checked my email to verify everything. The key here is that the email said "Can you meet me Monday after 3?" After. Not AT 3. So I took my sweet time getting ready and headed out there.

I walked into a near- empty restaurant. There were some people sitting at a table, and one of them shouted out to me.

Can I help you?
Yeah, I'm looking for Eric?
And who are you?
I'm Desiree.
You're 50 minutes late.
Um... the email said after 3.
No, it said AT 3. Have a seat over there and I'll be with you in a minute.

So I had a seat and was a little freaked out. Obviously I would have been there at 3, but the fact that it said "after 3" led me to believe that he didn't want me there right at 3. But I knew I was right.

After a few minutes, he called me over. I apologized for the misunderstanding, and he said not to worry about it. His demeanor was totally different from before. He had his laptop in front him, so I have the feeling he looked at the email and saw that I was right. Anyway, it was a real short interview, maybe about 5 minutes long. I didn't really get to brag about myself, but I think it went ok. I walked away with the feeling that the first part was "just a test" of that NY attitude they were looking for, and I think I passed. I mean, I stood by my guns when I was right but I apologized anyway. Actually I don't know if that qualifies as NY attitude. I would have done that when I lived in NYC too, but maybe I was born with that attitude.

He's still in the "preliminary" stages of interviews, so he said he'll know by next week. Fingers crossed and all that, but we'll see.

wish me luck!

2010-01-17T14:37:00.001-05:00

In my quest to make more money, I was looking on craigs*list for waitressing jobs that I could have in addition to my day job. One said that a new restaurant would be hiring people Saturday from 12-2pm ONLY. It also said no emails or phone calls. "New York attitude a plus."Well I was feeling ballsy, so I emailed the guy anyway. I explained that I couldn't make it on Saturday because I'd be at my day job, but I'm great with people and, let's face it, not too bad to look at. And New York attitude? Yeah I got that. Lived in Brooklyn for 3 years to earn it too. I also pointed out that it should say something about my character for not bailing on responsibilities like work. (I was much more eloquent in the email, of course.)

I wasn't really expecting anything of it, but he emailed me back asking if I could meet him Monday. Hellz yeah I can! So tomorrow I'm going to come home from Day Job, cute myself up a bit, and hopefully go get myself a night job! Even if I only work 1 or 2 nights a week, it would help. Waitressing can be hard work, but I'm great with people, so I'm looking forward to those tips. And who knows? I might get hired and make more money there than I do in my day job and so switch over to that full time.

But we'll see. I'll let y'all know how it goes tomorrow. Wish me luck!

De-lurk, dammit!

2010-01-15T16:40:00.001-05:00

I know you're out there.
There may not be that many of you since I don't update as often as I used to, but I know you're reading this.
Tell me who you are and why you're a reader!

This is how friends are made.

(Shoot, even if we're already friends, still leave a comment to let me know you're alive. )

it's official

2010-01-12T21:44:00.003-05:00

So, I'm now officially a resident of North Carolina. I know I've lived here for 6 months, but I had to go to the DMV today and make it official. This state is very particular about certain things, and this is one of them.

Jay was able to buy a car off of his aunt (so now we have two cars!) and in order to transfer it to my name* I need an NC license. And in order to get that, I need proof of insurance. That was hurdle number 1. We got that taken care of, but then I couldn't find my social security card (passport wouldn't cut it), so we spent most of today looking for it. Luckily we found it - it just hadn't made the final move with us. It was with all of our books sleeping in Jay's sister's garage. (Yeah, we should really finish moving all of our crap over to our house at some point...)

Keep in mind, I only have one weekday off per week, so if I miss my chance one Tuesday, I have to wait til the next one. We spent so long this morning getting everything together that we didn't make it to the DMV til about 2:30pm. Throw in an hour or so of waiting, then me doing the vision test and basic written test (of which I missed 3, still passing on the 1st try), and that didn't leave us much time to go to the other DMV office to get the new plate. Yeah, there are two DMV offices in Asheville - one for driver's licenses and one for car registration. It's really a very stupid system this state has.

Doesn't matter though, because even though I was issued a temporary paper driver's license, I was told that this wouldn't suffice to change the car title over. I have to wait the 1-3 weeks until I get the hard copy in the mail. Which is retarded. The one upside though is that once I do get the hard copy, it's good for 8 years. So even if I move states again (which is highly likely) there probably isn't a pressing need for me to go to the DMV until I'm 8 years older. Even then, it should be relatively painless, as I can simply renew my CA or MI license (assuming I live in one of those places again).

But the point is, I shouldn't have had to do it in the first place.

*We didn't transfer it to his name because my MI license expires before his does... He just spent a lot of money renewing it right before we left.

cold

2010-01-08T19:04:00.004-05:00

It's snowing in Asheville. My old house is drafty. Even with warm pajamas, awesome fuzzy slippers, central heat, and 2 space heaters, I am still unhappily cold. I don't want to hear any of you telling me how nice it is in your part of the world. I do want to move into a new climate though, or at least a new house.

Is the perfect temperature just too much to ask?

new hair!

2010-01-07T17:18:00.003-05:00

I love getting my hair done. Have I mentioned that lately? Some people can fall in love with a masseus, or a chef, or a mechanic. I could fall in love with a hairdresser. (Though a chef would be cool too.)So anyway, I have short hair again. It's red & black.

Yeah, the photo is kinda crappy lighting & coloring, but I wanted to show y'all. Thanks to Jay for getting me a gift certificate for a fancy shmancy salon for xmas. I guess I complained a lot about how much I was hating my hair. Whoopsie! But I love my new hair. It feels really good. Sure, no more pigtails, but I've always liked short hair on me better.

Also, I think that I should be a hairstylist. I think it would suit me -I work well with people, I'm creative, and I hate every other job I've had. So, I need to do research into cosmetology school. Does anyone have any insight into this?

(Also, I apologize for not being a good blogger lately.)

small blessing

2009-12-28T16:57:00.002-05:00

So you all know that working the holidays in retail is taking it's toll on me. I may have complained here and there. You probably missed it. Anyway, after xmas ended I assumed that people would go back to being semi-rational and much less grumpy.

No surprise that December 26, the store was super crowded with a mix of people making returns / exchanges, spending xmas cash (though we were still out of stock on everything...) and / or bargain hunting for that 50% off stuff on clearance. I counted this as part of the holidays. I mean, I had one person yell at me because a bottle of juice that we carry all year round wasn't included in the xmas sale. It was less than $2 regular price, but she threw a fit that it wasn't one dollar!

So I was ready for things to get back to normal. I've done my Wii Fit maybe 10 times this month, whereas in November I did it nearly every day. I was just so exhausted that I couldn't stand to spend even 30 minutes doing an easy workout. On Saturday (the day after xmas) I was so spent that I was asleep before 9pm that night. Now part of it IS my fault, as I went in on my days off several times to get my hand in some of these amazing profits the store was having. But like I said, I was ready for it to be over.

You can guess my disappointment today when the store was as busy as it had been in recent days. I'm sure that it didn't help that I spent a majority of the day moving heavy things like cat litter... in an area too near the xmas sale for my comfort. When 3pm finally came, I hightailed it out of there. Jay had to be at work, so I stopped to refuel at Taco Bell. I had a five dollar bill, and went to order my reg. With tax I came up 45 cents short, so I told the chick at the counter to take off the cinnamon twists. Instead, she gave me the senior discount, so the total was $4.94. I saw what she did, and I looked her in the eyes and sincerely thanked her and wished her a great day.

So thank you, Taco Bell lady. Your one small kind gesture renewed my faith in humanity, just enough that I could make it home without killing someone. People were stupid jerks to me all day, but you did something nice for a complete stranger. You received no benefit from it, and it wouldn't have been the end of the world if you didn't do it (in fact I wouldn't even have noticed it) but you did do it, and it made my day.

(Or maybe I looked as tired as I felt and she felt sorry for me.)

post xmas wrap-up

2009-12-27T10:19:00.004-05:00

I'm a little bit angry at myself. Jay's mom sent me a check for Christmas, and I blew it all on xmas clearance stuff. It wasn't much, but I had my eye on some cute knee-high boots, or at least some makeup or a tattoo. But I bought food and decorations instead. In my defense, we didn't have any xmas decorations, and we will eat the food, but I guess I wanted something more lasting. Or there are always bills to pay. It's a silly thing to regret, but I guess I wish I was more selfish in my spending.

I did get other things for xmas that I enjoy, don't get me wrong. Jay and I bought each other videogames, and he also got me a gift certificate to a fancy shmancy salon to get my hairz did. I got some clothes from his sister, and I know there are more gifts to come from people that are far away. These are all wonderful.

Oh, I also bought myself a coupla books recently. I had to kill some time after I got off work but before Jay did (with the car), so I went to B&N. We still haven't moved our books into this house and frankly I was going mad without them. I'd been looking at The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Other Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald and 3 collected novels by Jules Verne (20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days, and Journey to the Center of the Earth)
for some time, so I finally broke down and bought them. In fact, I read the first Fitzgerald story while I was waiting for Jason that day, while I enjoyed a peppermint hot chocolate.

Anyway, hope you all had a good holiday!

pre-emptive movie reviews

2009-12-20T12:05:00.002-05:00

Ok, I feel like sharing my thoughts on some upcoming movies. Why? Because I have a blog and I can.

The Road
When I read The Road by Cormack McCarthy, I knew it would lend itself well to film. So I wasn't surprised when the announced they were making it. However, I'm torn about seeing it - I know it will be a great movie but I know it will make me cry. It's a very dark, bleak, gray, post-apopolyptic story. However, the trailers make it look like the mom in the story has a bigger part than she originally did in the book. Maybe it's just flashbacks or something, but I hope the story isn't too altered.

Alice in Wonderland
As for Alice, that's my favorite director (Tim Burton) and favorite actor (Johnny Depp), making my favorite book. Win. I've been excited about this since I heard it was in production. Yes, I'm sure I'll still have some minor complaints about it, but it might be one of those book-to-movie things that I have to pretend are two separate entities.

Sherlock Holmes
Another movie version of a book coming out is Sherlock Holmes. This is yet another of my favorite books, so I'm more than a little annoyed that for some reason they made the detective an action star. I'm sure it would have been a fine movie, but why don't they call it something else? (Jay suggested "Ass Kicking Detective.") The whole point of Sherlock Holmes is that he was more cerebral. Yes, there was the occasional chase scene, but nothing like the trailers are showing.

Going off on a minor tangent, this reminds me of the movie I, Robot. You guessed it, another of my favorite books. But the thing is, the book I, Robot is really a collection of loosely related short stories. I never saw the movie, but from the previews I know that it is in fact based on another Isaac Asimov book, The Robots of Dawn. Why didn't they just call it that? Is it because that book is part of a trilogy, and even though the book can stand alone fine they would feel obligated to make all three movies?

(Can I just mention here that I hate the superfluos comma that is involved in the title of that book because it makes my grammar in that sentence look atrocious. Sorry, I'm a nerd like that.)

Out of these, I'll probably only see Alice in the theater. Nothing against the other ones, but I really don't make it to the theater that much. I haven't been at all since I move to Asheville, and the last one I saw in Michigan was Star Trek. So that should tell you something. Doesn't stop me from offering my thoughts on the matter though. :)

Its cold in them thar hills part 2

2009-12-19T16:13:00.003-05:00

Why is it that every time I move somewhere, they suddenly have the worst winter they've had in years?

Asheville got a blizzard yesterday. I thought when I left Michigan I was moving away from the snow! Ok, so it didn't snow as much as it does other places, but for a town that doesn't own snow plows or salt trucks, it was a lot. I think in our area it was like 10 inches maybe, but it was enough to disrupt the entire town. After I think 75% of the staff called in (or went home early), the store ended up closing at 5. I killed some time at work til Jay got off his work and could come get me, but it was very scary and slow going on the way home.

We saw dozens of cars spun out on the side of the room, and a few accidents as well. There was one moment where we thought we were going to get stuck, but after a few minutes of the tires spinning, we were able to move. However we did get stuck at the bottom of the giant hill we live on. A random stranger was nice enough to tow our car into a nearby parking lot. We walked about half a mile or so, then Jay's sister's boyfriend picked us up in his magic 4x4 truck & drove us the rest of the way home. After changing our clothes and grabbing some food, we went over to Jay's sister's house - which, as you'll remember, is only 3 doors down from us. There were some people over there, and he had some drinks and watched a movie.

Not terribly long after we got back to our place, the power went out. It had been trying all day. In fact, Jay's store actually lost power not long before he left. There was nothing much we could do, so we bundled up and went to bed. I woke up at my normal time because I was technically supposed to work. However, due to the whole "car being 2 miles away" thing and the "hill still not being plowed" thing, there was no way I was getting there so I called in and went back to bed. The power was still out, so we stayed in bed as long as we could. Even the cat was under the covers with us.

Sadly, eventually we had to get out of bed. Jay's sister was making a fire in the fireplace, so Jay went to help with that while I took a shower. Thank goodness the hot water still worked! The snow has started to melt a little, but as of right now our car is still inaccessible. I don't know if I'll be going to work tomorrow, but I definitely won't be in for my scheduled 4am shift. (Something about driving in the dark, in the ice & snow just doesn't sit right with me.

And now, pictures!

This was the next morning, when the snow was starting to melt. Not melt enough, it seems.

Over the night it got down to 47 degrees in our house. I forgot to take a picture until the heat was already back on.

And if you're interested, here's a story about Asheville's snow on CNN.

des should be in pictures!

2009-12-17T19:03:00.003-05:00

So I know what I need to do with my life. I know what my vocation should be. But I need to move to Los Angeles for it.

I need to be a performer. Rock star, actress, model - I can do all these things. In fact, I often do - just nobody pays me for it (or when they do, it's not enough to live off of). However, Asheville isn't the place to be for this. Yeah, I've gotten some modeling work, but I never tried doing that anywhere else so I don't know what that means.

But it would be great. I would get to have fun AND make money. I wouldn't have to deal with nutbag customers around the holidays, or incompetent bosses that can't understand logic. Sure, I might have an erratic schedule that involves lots of traveling, but I would also get to choose what I wanted to do. And I'm not saying it would be easy work. But dag nabbit, I would enjoy it!

I seriously am considering moving to L.A. I mean I want to move back to CA anyway, so this is a good reason. Now to find a way to get there and a place to live...

It's cold in them thar hills!

2009-12-13T11:55:00.004-05:00

Who'da thunk it would get cold here in the mountains of the American South? It's not as cold as Michigan of course, but I'm still a California girl, dammit! It's been getting down to the 20's sometimes, even with a couple flurries of snow. (The snow doesn't stick at all, or even make much of a slush, but I can definitely see tiny flakes falling.)

What makes it worse is that our house is heated by propane. Recently the propane ran out, even though we had just put $270 worth into the tank 20 days ago. The source of this rapid use is still under investigation. But we bought a coupla space heaters and have been working on winterizing (read: shrink-wrapping) the windows, and that's helped. We managed to get the propane refilled, but there were a few days when it was VERY cold in this house, especially at 6am en route from the bed to the shower before work.

Also, we have hardwood floors. You might say, ooh how nice, that's so fancy! But really, they just turn into giant ice cubes that you have to walk on. We already had a rug at the foot of the bed, but that was useless for anything else. So thanks to some lucrative ebaying, we bought a new rug for the foot of the couch, and one for the kitchen that makes up a majority of that freezing stretch from the bedroom to the bathroom. Also, Jay bought me some toasty new slippers as an early xmas present. (Though I'm pretty sure he was just sick of hearing me complain about freezing feet.)

Although the one upside of the freezing house is that the cat was more loving. He would sit on our laps every chance he got, and even crawl under the covers with us at night. When we bought the first space heater (an oscillating one on a tower), he would position himself conveniently on the couch so he got the maximum heat. Then we picked up another smaller cheaper heater that sits on the floor. The point of that was to help the floor become a floor again and less of an ice cube, but the cat has co-opted the heater for his own personal use. He sits directly in front of it at all times. He's learned that he's not allowed to actually *touch* the heater, but he gets pretty damn close. Since the heater isn't as powerful as it could be, it doesn't seem like his fur will catch on fire, but I still make him move once in a while.

And of course all this coldness is reeeeeally making me miss sunny California. Still considering moving back there at some point, but what would I do with all these heaters?

Also: if you order from my etsy shop quick, you can get delivery by xmas!

reconsideration time, once again

2009-12-10T17:47:00.004-05:00

I've decided to become a communist. Apparently I was a capitalist before, what with the belief that hard work would get me ahead. Not the case. So I need to find some boring office job that pays well and doesn't really require brainpower. I promise to show up, do a bit of work, and get a piece of the pie. I've had jobs like this before, and it worked out pretty well - but I generally end up leaving because I have to depend on other people to finish their work so I can do my own. If I'm going to do management's work but not get paid management's salary, I won't be around long. It's like this too many places I work.

Today (while I was doing someone else's job instead of my own of course), a thought occurred: I want to be the one buying this stuff instead of the one putting it on the shelves. I was fancying a hair clip, which in reality was less than $6, but even with all my hard work, I simply can't justify spending money on it. Even though the job I have now is good work and I like all my coworkers, I still have to deal with nutcase customers and retail hours. Plus, you know, the pay is pretty awful. It's not like I'm a Rockefeller over here or anything, not spending $6 on a pretty hair clip or other things I want but don't need.

But my problem is that I have no marketable skills. Yes, I can be trained to do anything (and do it well!) but who wants to hire someone that needs training? And even if they do hire me, are they going to give me full pay even during the training period? I have no financial buffer for a transition like that. Even to get the career back that I had for 6 years would require recertification (and a bit of retraining since it's been a while). My resume has lots of experience, but nothing solid. I am a master of many things, and expert at none.

I'm not trying to turn this into a "woe is me" blog, just trying to get my head straight. I think I will start applying for jobs again and hope for a big fat paycheck. Yeah, it's all about the money with me. And the $270 propane that lasted us less than a month and is necessary for heating our home has nothing to do with it, I swear.

Catfight!

2009-12-02T20:49:00.004-05:00

I am so mad at my cat right now.

Occasionally he gets full of beans and acts like we're chasing him around the house, even if we don't know it. Today, apparently that wasn't enough for him. There I was, minding my own business, doing my WiiFit, when I feel the cat jump up and drag his paws down my leg. Thankfully, his claws were in. But I gave in and chased him into the bedroom, where I jumped on the bed. Mecrutio then gave me the evil eye and jumped up. I was laying on my tummy, so he landed on my shoulder. With all of his claws and teeth out in full force.

The next few minutes are a little hazy, but I'm sure Jay heard a stream of expletives, and then more crashing around as I tackled the cat, who then had the audacity to hiss at me. Hiss! This cat has hissed maybe 5 times in his life. More expletives. Somehow I got the cat in a chokehold and dragged him to the kitchen sink, fighting and yelling the whole way. I doused his face with water and threw him on the ground. He ran back in the bedroom and I slammed the door after him. Then I stormed out to show Jay the carnage.

This little sweetiekins:

gave me this:

It hurts a lot more than the pictures make look like it should, I promise you.

Eventually the cat and I made up, just because I happen to know that Mecrutio is certainly one to hold a grudge. So I approached him slowly with my hands out, speaking softly, saying things like "hey buddy - truce?" When he let me pet him, I knew tonight would bring kitty cuddles instead of kitty surprises in my shoe or something.

But my shoulder still hurts like a monkey funker.

Black Friday

2009-11-27T19:12:00.002-05:00

A quick note to all you crazies that camp out in front of stores to be first inside at 5am:

Stop it.

The more people that do that, the more stores think it's a good idea to have all their employees have to work the day after Thanksgiving. As one of those employees, I hate you. Just because you don't have to work doesn't mean that nobody does.

Why?

Why does this have to be the biggest shopping day of the year? Why can't some of us rest, and the rest of us do our jobs like normal? Why do people that are normally sane, intelligent, polite, and logical suddenly freak out on this one day?

Like if you saw a very full cart stacked with unboxed DVDs, and an employee said "don't touch that - I'll get it," would you proceed to try and move it out of your way anyway, thereby succeeding in knocking hundreds of DVDs onto the floor?
Because someone did that to me today. And conveniently enough, she "had a bad back" so couldn't help me pick them up. I didn't want her help anyway. I wanted her not to touch the cart.

Or if someone asks for a partcular DVD, and the employee replies that the store sold out of that movie by 6am today, would you stand there watching her while she continued (trying) to put out the rest of the stack she had in her hand? Then have this conversation:
-Is there something else that I can help you with?
-I'm just waiting for you to put out one of those Tinkerbell movies.
-We're still sold out. There are zero in the store.
-Oh, I know you'll find one in that stack, and when you put it on the shelf, I'll be here.
-Seriously, there are ZERO in the store. We sold out by 6am. There are none in my hand. There are none on my cart. You should have gotten here earlier if you wanted it so badly.

And while normally I don't speak to customers that way, I did today. If they're crazy enough to camp out overnight for a stupid sale, then they can handle a bit of logic. Or sass. Whatever.

about love (and presents)

2009-11-24T13:02:00.003-05:00

So it was me & Jay's second anniversary last week. I started the celebrations a day early because I got off work at 3 and was off the actual day of. Plus I like presents. I brought home for him a crock pot (which he's been wanting for a while), a crock pot cookbook, and an assortment of hot sauces. Then I took him out to a steakhouse for dinner.

He gave me some WoW time, so now in addition to watering my stupid plants in Animal Crossing and defeating evil in Wii Zelda, I'll have to go back to worrying about leveling my WoW toons. He also paid for Star Trek on DVD (the super special version where the case becomes the Enterprise, available only at Target) - that was for BOTH of us though - and bought me a cute shirt that just happened to be on sale for 1/3 the price for one day only (and that day was our anniversary). Oh yeah, and this:

See the sparkly next to the penguin? Yeah, it's one of my new mystic topaz earrings gotten to match the ring and necklace I already have. You know the ones:

So between the presents, and you know - the love of my life, it was a pretty good day.

For those in the know!

2009-11-21T18:37:00.009-05:00

So the anniversary follow-up will have to wait.

I just met, hung out with, and caught a super-secret show by the lovely and talented Miss Amanda Palmer. For those not in the know, she is totally super awesome. And it all came about through the magic of twitter. Basically Amanda was en route from a show in Chapel Hill to Knoxville, and Asheville is exactly in the middle. She played a show here last year (before I moved here) and thought it was cool enough to stop off again. I happened to sign on to twitter just before 3pm, randomly, but it was right after a friend of mine had posted that Amanda would be here. Since that particular friend lives in FL, I can't help but think he posted that just for me. And thank goodness that he did. Jay and I were out the door in a few short minutes.

There were about 30 people waiting in the park. One woman walked up and sat down, and I was like "is that her?" Then that girl waved to everyone, and stood up and started playing the ukelele. This woman:

However, the nearby construction was very noisy. Luckily there was a fan there who worked at a nearby bookstore / coffeeshop, and volunteered that place for the rest of the show. So we headed over as a mob, stopping to listen to another street musician. Amanda even posed for a picture with her sweet axe for us. (Well, for Jay.)

We went inside, and completely surprised the store's patrons with a surprise concert. She was short on time, so she only played 2 songs. (She did play on in the park, but lie I said, it was noisy there.) I got videos of both songs, too!

2. Blogger's video service is being retarded, so just click here for the brief chat on youtube.

3. And click here for the second song on youtube.

Then she had to literally run out the door. I was lucky enough to grab a picture with her as she ran.

I'm the semi-obsessed fan hugging the chick doing a rock kick. :)

just a quickie

2009-11-17T15:56:00.001-05:00

I'll post a real update later, because it is me & Jay's anniversary.

Until then, go see new snowflakes over at Jewelry by Des!

irritating customers

2009-11-08T18:40:00.002-05:00

Christmas and the whole holiday season stress me out. Not because I won't get all the presents I want, or be able to buy everything I want for everyone else, or because I don't see my family. No, I'm stressed out because I work in retail. As the store gets busier, people seem to get more inconsiderate. Some examples:

When I'm pushing an obviously heavy cart full of merchandise, 4 out of 5 people don't get out of my way. Only when I manage to somehow manuever around them and I say "excuse me" then 1 out of those 4 people will move over an inch and grunt something that I can only assume is supposed to be "Oh, excuse me! I'm so sorry to get in your way!" The rest of the people either completely ignore me, or give me a dirty look for disturbing their shopping. I actually had someone the other day give me a dirty look, then got in my way not once, but twice. (She went around the aisle s she could do it again.) Then had the gall to ask me for help. Maybe I wasn't as nice to her as I am to other customers. Oopsie.

People treat the store like it's their house. I realize that it is part of my job to follow people around and clean up after them, but why do they leave their empty coffee cups on the shelves? We do provide trash cans like every 20 feet or so. Or if they drop some merchandise or somehow else make a mess (hey, that stuff happens) why do they not tell a worker?

-Example: The other day I spent a good half an hour cleaning up a bottle of baby oil. I thnk someone opened it to smell it or something, and then it slipped out of their hands because it was baby oil. I ust happened to walk by and see a mess on the floor. Have you ever tried cleaning up a liter or so of oil with paper towels on tile flooring? Not as easy as it sounds.

Related, I can understand taking stuff of the shelves to look at it, like shoes or rug. But why would you leave them on the floor afterwards?

-Example 1: I was working in a certain rug aisle with my cart, putting stuff away. I left for a minute to help a customer, and came back to find two large rugs splayed out on the floor. Seriously, I was gone like 30 seconds and when I left, nobody else was on the aisle.

-Example 2: I was tidying up the shoe section. This woman (well, late teens - early 20s) was taking out shoes and leaving them on the floor. My passive agressive "cleaning up the same aisle she was on, right in front of her" wasn't working, so I said "Oh, are you still looking at all of these?" Her boyfriend was embarrassed, but she was like "oh no, I'm done." I gave her a minute to clean up after herself and went to another aisle. When I came back, the part of the aisle that I had just cleaned right in front of her, was a mess again. Apparently she ddn't find what she was looking for the first time, so she had to go through them all again. Honestly, that's when I gave up and went home a few minutes early.

Ok, that's enough bitching for now. I was more riled up earlier, but videogames fixed that. :D

driving miss des

2009-11-05T17:12:00.002-05:00

Right now, my friend from work is on vacation. What does this mean for me? Well for one I don't get to hang out with her at work for a while, but the more notable thing is: I have a car to drive! That's right she's letting me borrow her car. She wouldn't accept any money for me to "rent" it, but I will have it filled with gas and washed by the time she gets home. (For the record, I've never gotten as much as a speeding ticket, so it wasn't a risky gamble on her part.)

I'm only driving it to & from work, but boy does it make me miss having a car of my own - especially a little sporty one with a bit of zip to it. (But just about anything is sportier than the Olds.) There's nothing I can do about it just now, but someday I will have another mini cooper (or until then, at least a Chevy Cobalt). But for the next week I'll be zipping around all by myself. :)

almost new kitty

2009-11-03T11:18:00.003-05:00

Last night we had our weekly date at Wild Wings* and on the way there we saw a tiny black kitten with white toes. He had run off the sidewalk because some people going the other direction from us were being loud and bitchy, so who can blame him. When we passed where he was, we called to him a little bit. He looked like he wanted to come to us, but yet he didn't. And it seems he had a little friend still hiding in the bushes, shaking the leaves and trying to make us think he was a bush monster and not a kitten. We never actually saw the friend.
On the way back, we looked for him but he was long gone. Shame, that, because we would have brought home a cute little friend (or friends) for Mecrutio. But we'll keep our eyes open for him.

(And don't worry - we wouldn't have been stealing someone's kitty. It was a non-residental area, so he was most likely a stray.)

*Mondays it's buy 8 get 8, so Jay gets 16 hot wings. My boneless ones do not count towards free ones, sadly. But it's the price I pay for being super picky about the meat I eat.

fall fun!

2009-10-27T12:06:00.004-04:00

Picture overload! (As always, click to enlarge.)

Halloween is my favorite time of the year for lots of reasons, and today I will focus on two of them: holiday socks and pumpkin carving.

I have a thing for socks, and I happen to work at one of the best stores for awesome socks. So yesterday I went on a sock shopping spree. I held back on the Halloween socks because I'm hoping that n a few days when all the Halloween stuff goes on clearance the other ones I like will still be there. It was between candy corn, ghosts, and spiders. I held them behind my back and had Jay choose a hand, and we walked out with candy corn.

When I saw these next socks, I literally yelled out "PENGUIN SOCKS!" So you know I had to have them.

And bunnies wearing scarves and earmuffs? Of course I had to have them. For the record, I initially thought the earmuffs were headphones, and I thought DJ bunnies were hilarious. I still love the socks though.

There are also a few plain colored ones (black / orange and gray) and black & white polka dotted ones, but those didn't require photos.

Since I'm off today, Jay and I decided to carve pumpkins last night. For some reason (probably fiscal) we didn't carve any last year, and I didn't carve any while I lived in NYC. I don't actually remember the last time I carved a pumpkin, which is stupid because I LOVE carving pumpkins. I love the smell. I love the family time it leads to. I love eating pumpkin seeds. And even though I don't like slimy things, I for some reason love putting my hands in the gooey mess that is pumpkin guts.

See me concentrating?

That made these pumpkins

into these jack o'lanterns

Closeup of Jay's flaming face:

Closeup of my spider skull:

ps - i'm really pissed off at blogger right now. It sucks balls for uploading photos, and apparently breaks people's computers. So I may be changing formats.

it's the tiny things

2009-10-24T17:07:00.003-04:00

Today started out to be one of those days. I made myself look nice & pretty for work, but then I was running late. I forgot my lunch, and couldn't go back & get it without being even later. But then I saw a tiny frog while I was waiting to get into work and I smiled.

Thanks to some clever highway speeding, I was only 2 minutes late and I'm convinced that if they had unlocked the door when I first arrived, I would have been on time. But then I would have missed the frog.

You see my dilemna.

fall photoshoot

2009-10-20T17:03:00.003-04:00

Today I headed slightly out of Asheville to do a photoshoot. The original plan was to go out on the Blue Ridge Parkway and capture some of the leaves changing colors (which incidentally, match my hair color right now) but sadly most of the Parkway was closed. We did end up in the NC Arboretum though.

I was wearing a formal red gown in black high heels, but the old people there were looking at me like this was my normal everyday arboretum attire and the photographer needed that giant fancy camera just to take pictures of the trees. Yes some people DO use a fancy camera to shoot trees, but when walking alongside a girl who's all made up like a Hollywood glamour star, one would think the connection would be made. One volunteer tour guide in the Bonsai section even followed us around "giving a tour" of the grounds, until the photographer took a random picture of a tree just to make her leave us alone. (She wasn't trying to interfere with us shooting, I think she was just lonely and bored and it didn't occur to her that we walked by her without wanting to know the history of the bonsai tree.)

Since today was the first nice day we've had in a while (which was fabulous for photos), the arboretum and Parkway were pretty crowded. We got several good shots in the red dress, then we moved on down the parkway and I changed my outfit because walking around the woods in heels is not the smartest idea I've ever had. We found a few spots right off the road to shoot, but there were still a lot of people. In fact, we were doing some artful nudes (I was covered in leaves) when some joggers ran by. There was some very hurried throwing on of clothes by me and blocking me from view by the photographer and Jay. The joggers (2 men) lingered for a minute, but they didn't get the full show they were hoping for. A female jogger also ran by with her dog, but she didn't even bat an eyelash. However I'm pretty sure that if I had indicated that I was in distress, her dog woulda been a'biting.

Sadly most of the day was spent driving around looking for locations, and we only did about an hour of actual shooting. He did buy us McDonald's breakfast (just a parfait for me, thanks) and offered to buy McD lunch too, as we had met up there. The pictures looked great and I can't wait to share them. We will most likely shoot again, but this time with a better plan for locations that includes backup scenarios.

earrings

2009-10-18T20:06:00.005-04:00

I don't have anything interesting to post, so I'm writing about my earrings. I have 13 total, and I never ever take them out or change them. It's just too much of a pain in the booty with some of these rings and whatnot. But recently I felt it was time for a change. I had taken out my earrings to give them their ~~annual~~ cleanings, and I got to looking. I wanted to buy myself a present for working so hard lately (like 7 days a week a few times) and I found a killer deal on ebay.

So I left my earrings out until my new ones came. I thought I'd take advantage by wearing some of those fancy things I make, but apparently the tiny bit of hole-stretching I've done was enough to make me paranoid I was going to lose the danglys. I finally gave up and put my old earrings back in, which was good because apparently the holes had started to close. I knew this because they needed to be re-stretched, which led to a sore lobe. But of course the day after I put them back in, my new ones arrived. The good news is, the gauges I bought (14 and 16) were smaller than my pre-stretched hole size, so no more sore ears.

The new ones are the multicolored rings at the very bottom (one in the left ear and two in the right). Here's an explanation for the rest of them:

-the fishbone, star, and skull I got in Mexico many years ago

-the amethysts are the last bday present I got from my xbf , which I admit is a little weird, but dang it, they're pretty. (And they're only filler until Jay buys me some mystic topaz to match my ring & necklace that I already have!)

-the penguin is a gift from my good friend Megan that she bought at the Monterey Bay aquarium for me a few years ago. I have that thing with penguins, you know.

-two of the rings I bought while in Argentina

- the rest of them I've just picked up in stores when I needed replacements

So now you're caught up. Also: do you know how hard it is to take a non-blurry picture of your own ear?

weekend fun!

2009-10-12T21:16:00.005-04:00

So this weekend we hopped in the car and drove for 2 hours to meet up with the some friends in Charlotte. Well it was more than 2 hours because we stopped on the way to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings, which is one of those places we used to go all the time in Michigan but Asheville is without. I got to meet a few new folks and reconnect with some folks I already knew. Everyone was great, and we were all dressed up. Of course, I forgot my camera so I have to wait til everyone else uploads their pictures so I can steal them.

Besides the Halloween party, I also got to pet lots of horses and go to the Carolina RenFest. Jay and I did bring our RenFest costumes, but something about going to bed at 5am that morning left us too lazy to wear them, so we went in normal clothes. There we saw some shows, ate some food... and pet more horses. The highlight of that part was meeting the giant Clydesdale in the petting zoo, who was completely blind. See? (thanks to Jay for the picture!)

He had a helper dog with him. Not only was the dog "on guard" while people were petting the horse, but we got to see the coolest thing happen: The horse tapped his giant foot against the fence, and the dog mmediately bounded over the fence and ran to the horse's handler. The handler then went and got some food for the horse, and the dog went off duty for a bit.

I'll post pictures from the party as soon as I get some, so stay tuned!

flu shot!

2009-10-01T16:33:00.003-04:00

My arm hurts, and I was duped. Next thing you know, I'll be sick.

Why the pessimism? I got a flu shot. Willingly. It was free through work, but I've never gotten one or needed one before. They made it sound like I would get a $10 gift certificate for being a new pharmacy patient. But that's not the way it worked. I got a coupon for a gift certificate if I transfer a prescription. Since I haven't had health insurance in years, I have no prescriptions to transfer. And I already picked out the super cute bra I was going to get myself with the gift certificate as a reward.

While I was waiting for the pharmacist to come back from lunch, I was talking to the store manager & HR assistant, who had both gotten their shots already. The HR chick said the shot wasn't bad, and the pharmacist was very gentle. Meanwhile, the store manager was telling me "how the needle broke off in his arm, and it took 3 or 4 tries" and other blatant lies. They were so blatant that even *I* - who can't even hear needles discussed - was fine with it. I told the pharmacist what the store manager said, and the pharmacist called him an ass, not jokingly. That might have something to do with why the pharmacist recently accepted a job offer somewhere else.

So I didn't get paid for my pain, but it wasn't so bad. The pharmacist did a very good job of hiding the syringe from my sight and keeping me distracted with talk of tattoos while doing the deed. I did feel a little poke, but no fainting, so that's a step up for me. However, my arm is sore now, and I did have a bit of lightheadedness while waiting for Jay to get off work. If I get sick though, I will be pissed.

(I *was* injected with a tiny tiny bit of active flu virus, so whenceforth comes my fear.)

in case we forgot that people can be dumb and inconsiderate

2009-09-28T17:51:00.003-04:00

So while I'm at work, I inevitably have to deal with customers. We have to ask everyone we see "Can I help you find something?" Most people say "no thanks, I'm just looking" and that's fine. Some people jump and yell NO! like I caught them doing something wrong. Whatever, I smile at them and we never see each other again. But here are some examples of how that didn't work.

me: Hi, can I help you find something?
lady: No thank you, but I wish they would organize the store while it was closed. This way is incredibly rude.

Keep in mind, there are people that arrive in the store at 4am to unload the truck and get the merchandise on the floor. Then there are people there ALL DAY that are continually pushing merchandise out so the customer can buy what he or she wants. And, as one of these people, I know it is a priority to make the customer happy first. This means that even if we are pushing a heavy unmanuveable cart full of stuff, it is our job to get out of the customer's way. So I'm sorry lady if you think we're rude. Also: maybe you shouldn't be waiting at the door when we open if you don't want to be "inconvenienced."

Of course I didn't say any of that to her. I just frowned at her and walked away.

Then I was moving a rando ironing board off the floor and bringing it back to its home. While I was holding and flipping / turning a 6-ft tall ironing board so it could stand on its feet, a lady decides to walk up my aisle with her 2 year old son. I almost beaned the son because I was flipping around a 6 foot tall ironing board. No "excuse me" no "oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" Nothing. She wasn't even buying anything on this aisle, she was just passing through. Now maybe it's just me, but when I see a tiny person manuevering a giant object, I try to stay out of their way. Apparently that's just crazy around here.

Speaking of children, then I saw a small child, probably 4-5 years old, wandering around by himself. Of course he was in the toy section, but I didn't see anyone that looked like they were his parent. So I asked the little boy:

me: Hey buddy, who are you here with?
boy: my dad
me: and where's your dad right now?
boy: I dunno. But he knows where I am so its ok.
me: Are you sure he knows where you are, because I don't see him anywhere.
boy: yeah, its ok.

So I hung out with the boy for a bt while my friend went to go find the dad. About 5 (five!) minutes later, this guy walks up on his cell phone.

me: Sir, is this your son?
guy: Yeah ("hold on" sign, he;s on the phone!)

I see that it would be of no use to lecture the guy because he is obviously too busy to, oh I don't know, look after his son, so we just walk away. But what if something had happened? Guess who that guy would have blamed? The store. Because I'm sure it would be our fault if we were on the phone not paying attention to his sone and he got snatched or something.

So whatever. It irks me, but there's nothing I can do. So I continue putting out my merchandise. This old guy with 2 teeth (yeah I counted) asks me for help. I show him what he's looking for, then he grabs my arm. I resist the urge t punch him in the face, and say

You're not actually allowed to touch me.
guy: Oh, I just wanted to get a good look at your tattoo.
me: that's fine, you can look, but you are ABSOLUTELY not allowed to touch me. Ever.

he continued making excuses, but I seriously almost decked him. I mean seriously, who touches strangers?

So, the last few days I've had a few trying customers. But you know what? I've worked in retail all my life, so I expect people to be asshats. I'm definitely not complaining about my job. I think that maybe since its time for my day off I might just be a wee bit cranky. ;)

scam fail

2009-09-25T20:22:00.002-04:00

So someone contacted me on Model Mayhem about doing a job. It was going to be a high paying job, almost too good to be true. I had my suspicions, but I went along with it. I was supposed to get paid about 1/3 of my fee in advance, and then show up for one day of (fully clothed!) shooting and get paid the rest. Still sounded too good to be true.

They asked for my name & address to send the payment. It still sounded too good to be true, but they weren't asking for my social security number, or any payment from ME, so I went ahead and gave them my info (which, honestly, if someone wanted I'm sure they could get by some means or another after all and doesn't cause any harm if they do have it). I received an email last night saying I was getting an overnight delivery via UPS with my check, and the check was to be MORE than I was originally told. This definitely sounded WAY too be good to be true. I still had my doubts, but I could really really use the money. I was being taunted with enough money to pay several months' rent, or buy myself a used car on craigslist (which is what I was going to do). But still, the doubts.

Jay was home today when the delivery came, and texted me at work. He said inside the package were 3 postal money orders. At first I was like "sweet! I don't have to wait for a check to clear!" but then he did a bunch of research and found all sorts of scams involving money orders. Conveniently enough, the 800-number to verify money orders through the USPS was down, so when I got off work, we went to the post office so they could verify it in person. I still really really wanted that money, but my scam sense that had been tingling since the beginning was getting stronger and stronger. As soon as we showed the post office employees what he had, every single one of them screamed fraud. They showed me a REAL money order, and how the "security marks" in the fake ones were obviously fake. It was sooooo obvious once I saw the real money orders! And, they pointed out that the money orders were delivered via UPS instead of via post office, even though the person had obviously GONE to the post office to "buy" them, and they were even packaged in a USPS envelope. Hmmm.... trying to avoid the postal inspectors, are we?

So they confiscated the money orders, and made me a copy for my records. Federal authorities will be involved soon. I was bummed that I wasn't a few thousand dollars richer, but not surprised. When I got home I checked my email, and lo and behold there was an email from the guy who sent the money orders. He wanted to make sure I got them, and I deposited them in the bank as soon as possible. Oh, and I'm supposed to forward along the rest of the money (after my initial fee) to some other person also as soon as possible. AND am I still on for shooting on Sunday? Well not only do I have to work Sunday because this is the first I've heard of an actual date, but YEAH RIGHT am I showing up. I mean if the feds wanted me for some sort of sting or something, I would go. But other than that, this guy has been blocked & reported on MM (his profile has since been removed).

I feel like I should've gotten into the scamming industry. I'm sure that a greedier / stupider person would have rushed off to deposit their new money before the banks closed for the weekend, and the sender would be loving life, while the "model" would be fucked. Luckily, I am not used to people paying me thousands of dollars for ANYTHING, so I was wary.

Oh well. Back to making money the old fashioned way. That, by the way, is actually working out pretty awesomely. The store manager has made it a habit of coming to me personally and asking if I can work more hours. Obviously I've proven that not only am I willing to put in the extra work, but that paying me a bit more is worth it because the work gets done! So no get rich quick modeling jobs for me... just good old fashioned chutzpah. It will take longer, but the results will be more permanent.

actual new friend

2009-09-21T17:34:00.002-04:00

So I'm in love with my coworker. Not in a "she's so hawt, I want to maul her!" type of way. More like a "she's so super awesome and nice and I want to hang out with her" kind of way.

On my team of 4 people, she's the other girl besides me. She's also closest to my age. So we've got that going for us. Also, she just moved here from Michigan. And her husband works for the same company that Jay works for (different branch though). We're totally twinsies.

Last week I was complaining that my coffee pot had broken. She mentioned she might have an extra one because one birthday she got one from her husband AND one from her mom. She went on a short vacation back to Michigan, and saw the extra coffee pot at her parents' house, still unopened. So she brought it to me. She didn't even want any money or anything for it.

Then today I mentioned that I would be sitting in the break room for 2 hours after work because Jay didn't get off work til then, and it was raining so I couldn't do my normal walk to the mall to kill time. She offered to hang out with me and of course I accepted. We wandered around our store for a bit because sometimes there are things we want to take a closer look at, but can't because we are working. I ended up splurging and buying a pair of $8 pajama pants. My old ones were literally worn until they fell apart, and I miss them. Plus these were on clearance.

Then we went to the mall (she drove) and wandered around there. As is apt to happen when 2 girls wander around together, we got to talking and bonded a bit. At one point we were in an accessory store and she bought some bobby pins. The guy told her that anything else would be half off with that purchase, so she told me to pick out something. I had been fancying these sparkly barrettes, s she grabbed them and bought them for me. I didn't ask her to, and I offered to split the package with her, but she said no.

We still had a bit of time to kill, so we wandered over to the bookstore to look at bridal magazines (for her). We sat in comfy chairs, looked at pretty pictures of dresses, and gabbed like freinds do. She waited with me until Jay was done with work, and I thanked her for everything profusely.

I think I'm going to make her a little bracelet to give her when I go back to work on Wednesday. You might even call it a - friendship bracelet? :D :D :D

ps - speaking of me making stuff, you can still buy pretty things from me to help with those pesky bills.

funk (not the George Clinton kind)

2009-09-17T20:02:00.002-04:00

As I mentioned in my last blog, work is going pretty well. However, it's not going so well that I don't worry about money. My plan from the beginning was to get a second job. However, in sharing a car between 2 people with part time retail jobs, I realize that a second job would be impossible. In theory I'm still waiting to hear back from that high paying office job, but even if I get hired I would have no way to get there. It's further away than my current job, and since Jay works odd hours, one of us would be suffering to get to & from work.

I just need a lump sum of money - like winning the lottery or something. In fact, it doesn't even have to be a large amount. Just enough to get us caught up on our bills (I haven't paid my phone bill in 2 months, for example) and maybe get me a car. Though I would absolutely love to have another mini cooper, I don't see the $20,000+ price tag happening anytime soon. I would just need something off of craigslist, as long as it runs.

It's really hard working in a store that sells awesome things, too. Every day I find more things that I want and or / need, but I can't buy. I don't even remember the last time I bought myself something, including makeup, clothes, dvds, etc. (Ok I did buy a few things at a thrift store, but they were required for work.) Wait, that's not true. I did buy some hair dye because I was very unhappy looking at myself in the mirror and seeing my very long roots. I did not splurge on the haircut I so desperately need, though.

So if anyone has any quick moneymaking tips that don't require a car or initial funding, let me know. Also, you know I'm still selling jewelry. I know times are tough for everyone, so if there's something in my store (or you want something custom), let me know and we can negotiate. I'll take a small amount over nothing. Every bit helps.

work is grrrrrrreat!

2009-09-15T21:52:00.002-04:00

I haven't updated in a while, so here goes.

I really like my job. Still getting used to being at work at 7am, but being home around 2ish certainly has its perks. Around 4-4:30, I take a nap, and then I'm good til about 11 or so for bed. Rinse and repeat.
Jay has a job too, and it's about a mile away from mine. This is especially nice since we still share a car. Generally I get off before him and take my time walking down to his store, maybe meandering into other stores on the way. Then we go home together. Sometimes we work opposite shifts though, so we see each other only briefly all day.

My coworkers are pretty awesome. My "team leader" is an English / Literature professor, and gets all my obscure references. The other chick on the team is about my age, also just moved here from MI, and her husband works at the same store as Jay (different branch though). We're twins. Plus she gave me a coffee pot when I told her mine broke. She had an extra one, never opened, and it works super. The other guy on the team is the type that over explains things, but other than that he's fine. So out of us 4, it's a good team.

Other people I work with all seem pretty cool too. One of the managers (the one who actually gave the thumbs up to hire me on the spot) plays a lot of the same videogames I do and is into other nerdy stuff I am, so we also have decent conversations. In fact, sometimes I clock back in from lunch, but then get caught up in discussions with 2 managers, and don't necessarily get back to work on time. But I can't get in trouble because I'm talking to the people that would be doing the disciplining me.

People there like me, too. I've had a few of the higher ups have told me that they've "been hearing good things about me." The store manager even knew my name before we were actually introduced. The only problem with the job is that I don't get paid enough, but I'm sure that as soon as I'm eligible for raises, I will begin receiving them. One cool option at the store is that you can pick up other people's shifts easily. So I'm working 13 hours on Friday. I'll be tired as a monkey, but at least I'll have a few more bucks.

new friend

2009-09-08T17:46:00.004-04:00

Last night I got word that the International Space Station was visible, so I went outside to see. I couldn't see through the cloud cover, so that was a bust. However, I did see something much more interesting: a kitty hiding in the bushes, meowing.

Jay and I stayed outside for a while, trying to coax it to us. We even went and got a small bowl of food to offer her, but she wouldn't come. We left the food on our porch and went back inside, and eventually, we heard a tiny munch-munch-munch, and saw a pretty tortoiseshell kitty eating our food. I went out, and after a bit more of me being patient and the cat being skittish, she finally came to me and let me pet her. Once she realized I wasn't going to hurt her, she started rubbing my legs and headbutting me like crazy. I called Jay out to take pictures.

Isn't she cute? Problem is, she's needy. And noisy. After going inside to post the pictures on craigsl*st, she sat under the window meowing. And meowing. And meowing. And meowing. When we went to bed, she kept meowing. And meowing. And meowing. And meowing. I had dreams where my own cat was meowing. And meowing. And meowing. And meowing.

When we woke up this morning, she was gone. But I did have 3 emails from someone thinking that we had her cat, even though the place the cat would be coming from is a half-hour's drive away, and she kept talking about the "white stripe" on the cat's face and tail. Clearly this was not the cat, but I wanted to be sure. When the chick realized this, I thought we were done. Wrong. So far today, I've had 3 more emails from her - all from different email addresses, but all with the exact same copied & pasted text. I ignored them all.

Well, if we hear from the real owner, we can at least tell them which area of town to look in. And maybe we'll but some (inexpensive) food outside so we have someone to chase away the neighborhood rodents living in the bushes in our backyard.

moved in!

2009-09-04T12:20:00.003-04:00

What's this? I'm sitting on my own couch, watching my own tv, using my newly installed cable & internet? That's right folks, after exactly 2 months of living in North Carolina, we have finally moved into our new place. I am so over all of the following:

-fleas and other bugs
-living out of a suitcase in a tiny bedroom shared with a cat and a boy
-worrying about roommates eating my food
-being lectured on how much the water & electricity bills have risen because of us
-having to watch crappy reality shows because its not my tv
-bratty dogs that eat everything from the cat's toys to the cat poop to the frozen chicken that was supposed to be our dinner
-a bathroom with no electrical outlets
-not having full access to all my shoes & purses
-Direct TV (I prefer my tivo, thankyouverymuch)

There were some good things too, but I would have much rather been able to move into this house July 1 like we were originally supposed to.

The move itself wasn't so bad. Our stuff had been stored in the garage, and somehow the couches and a few things got moldy / musty / dusty. I cleaned them as best I could (read: lots of febreeze and vacuuming) but the main couch still stinks. We have a blanket over it, periodically febreeze it, and have all the windows near it open, so hopefully that helps.

Do you know how comfortable my bed was after sleeping in Jessica's spare bed? That other bed was too small, noisy, and just plain uncomfortable. My bed is like a dream of pillows and marshmellows. Not to mention it was the hottest room in the house, so even with fans I was unhappy. New room = heaven.

Mecrutio is a real champ at moving. He was of course the last "thing" we brought over. I held the carrier up t the dogs so they could say goodbye, and we headed out. I put him down, opened the carrier, and let him do his thing. His thing, incidentally, involved slinking in circles around the house. The bedroom has 2 doors, so he could go living room - kitchen - laundry room - kitchen - bedroom - living room. He seemed to enjoy it. We've since closed off the door from the bedroom to the living room due to space issues, but he's still fine. For a cat, he adapts extremely well to change. Within an hour he was curled up on our bed. I think he missed our bed too.

I had this week off from work (scheduling issues - all 4 of us hired at the same time were off this week) but I did need the time to move. Incidentally, I never heard back from the higher paying job. That sucks, but oh well. I've already used my discount at the store that did hire me when we needed to replace the stuff we left in MI (such as a trash can, toaster, etc.).

life stuff

2009-08-29T11:18:00.002-04:00

I've worked a few days at the store now. I really like it. My "team members" are all pretty cool, and they were appreciative of my skillz. Yesterday I did my cashier training. Not like I haven't been a cashier before, but this store's system is soooooooo easy. When someone pays in cash, it actually gives you buttons to press for how much they gave you, so you don't type it in like I'm used to. Say a person owes $21.10. The options are a) $21.20 b)$22 c)25 d) $30 etc. listing the most common payment amounts. The register literally walks you through every little step. It requires no brains at all to be a cashier at this particular store. No offense to my coworkers, but really.

However, I was told by the HR lady that I "need to stop being such a good cashier or they won't let me go back to my actual job." I thought that was funny. I am, however, going to pick up lots of cashier shifts so I can earn more money by doing very little work. My normal work schedule is 7am to 2pm (ish) so that leaves me lots of time to cover for others. Also it will show my bosses how awesome I am and how willing I am to take on more responsibility. And hopefully that will lead to them giving me promotions and raises.

I haven't heard back from the boring-but-well-paying-job yet.I stil have mixed feelings. I do need the money soooooooo badly, but I really like the store job. Maybe I can talk to them and have them switch my hours or something. But we'll see.

We haven't moved into the new place yet either. It's up to 3 bombings, powderings, and 3 exterminator visits. These fleas will. not. die. The exterminator is even bending the rules a little and giving us 2 and 3 times the legal limit of chemicals. (And that's part of the reason we don't live there yet.) I also learned that the neighbors of that house were under investigation by a task force, and yesterday they were busted for something involving lots of meth. I really hope it wasn't a meth lab. I don't want no neighbors blowing up my house. But now they're gone, and hopefully the fleas will be too.

Life may be coming back to order.

so sick of interviews

2009-08-24T19:01:00.002-04:00

I had an interview with the mystery company today. Apparently it's such a secret because they are doing a buyout but their employees don't know yet, and they don't want to cause a stir. Whatever. Also they made it clear that it's a temp-to-hire job, so hopefully I wouldn't have to do this job searching thing again, well, ever. The people were really hard for me to use my people-reading super powers on, so I'm not sure how it went. Here's a rundown:

The first lady spoke a little bit about the job. I was able to find out why they were so secretive, and where the place is located (15 minute drive). She also said that the first week of training will be generalized, and then they will separate people into the niche that they fit into best. I like that idea because it means I probably won't be on the phones all day, which I hate. But then she saw my experience with the animal shelter on my resume so we talked about dogs. Then she asked if I had a dog. So I got to say I did have a dog until we moved to Asheville. And she made me go into detail about poor Midnight. Then she actually had the gall to say "gee, thanks for bumming me out!" I was like, bitch, thank you for bumming ME out! Shouldn't we be talking about how you're going to give me a job? But then she wanted to talk about her dog, and where they got it and blah blah blah. She's the type of person that can't finish a story unless she knows all the details, so when she couldn't remember the name of the restaurant that they ate lunch at that day, she had to stop talking until she could recall it, even though I knew which one she was talking about and it wasn't pivotal to her story.

It was at this point that the chick from the staffing agency came in to tell me the 2nd interviewer was ready for me. What she actually meant is that it was time for me to sit in another room by myself for 15 minutes. Though to the girl's credit, she did come hang out with me for a few minutes. I liked her better than the 2 interviewers by far. But eventually it was time to go talk to the other guy.

The thing that struck me most about him is that he never smiled. I'm used to people smiling in my presence (especially if I am being my own smiley self), so it was a little disconcerting. He made it sound like I would be on the phone all day no matter what, and seemed to imply that I wasn't qualified to work in a call center because he was concentrating on my last office job, which was 3 jobs ago, and didn't involve being on the phone. Nevermind my 10+ years of retail experience. Whatever.

So we'll see if I even get that job. It wouldn't start til September 8 anyway, so I would still be working at the funner, lower paying "bullseye" store I mentioned last blog until then. But I guess that would give the bullseye store a chance to see how awesome I am, and then maybe change the set hours for me or give me a raise if they wanted to keep me.

dilemna

2009-08-20T21:06:00.003-04:00

So... the other day I had a job interview for a certain unnamed department store with a bullseye logo. Poor Jay didn't realize I would be there for 2+ hours and was stuck walking around the store while I talked to one guy, waited in the break room, talked to a chick, waited in the break room, then talked to the last guy and signed the paperwork to become an employee. That's right, I got a job.

However, the problem is that it's not a 40 hour week, and I'm making less money than I was in MI, and that wasn't that much to begin with. So I need a night job too, preferably waiting tables or something that would give me the cash flow.

But this morning I had one of those lame-o "interviews" at a temp agency. The job would pay a lot more, but it would be one of those mind-numbingly boring cubicle/ data entry / phone jobs. So I'm torn. Have a fun job where I get to interact with people and be active (and not cover my tattoos) but can't pay my bills, or have a super boring job that will at least make me some money. But the temp agency totally pissed me off about this one - they wouldn't tell me what exactly I would be doing, or where the job is, or what the company does, or anything. I was like how do I know this isn't a waste of my time then?

I'm supposed to hear back tomorrow from the temp agency if I need to come back down to their office for an interview (because the real job is so super secret, I don't even interview at the place I'd be working!), and then I need to make a decision. Boring, slow death job that pays pretty well, or fun, active job that pays like poop (BUT I get a discount!)?

I'm actually leaning towards the higher paying job. We'll see if I even get the call back from that though. What would y'all do?

so many annoyances, so little time

2009-08-17T12:04:00.003-04:00

This morning I woke up for a job interview. I showered and made myself all pretty and professional looking. I got in the car for a drive that was to last less than 10 minutes. I noticed that people were driving more retarded than usual, but it wasn't a big deal until an old man in a Buick decided that there probably wasn't in the lane that he wanted to be in. Me: BRAKE! HONK! Flip the old man the bird, which went unnoticed of course.

Ok, near accident, brush it off. I get to the interview at a children's store, and the person isn't ready for me yet. I wander around for a few minutes, and then we go next door to the bakery to sit down. Now, "interview" isn't really the applicable word here. It was just this person talking to me, and me trying to interject here and there. About 10 minutes later, we were done. Gee good think I put effort into that. I don't think it went badly, but it was definitely the shortest interview I've ever had.

On the way home, I was planning on stopping at the bank to open an account. I have a check for a bracelet I'm making, and some cash from a photo shoot I did yesterday (more on that later), so I figured I needed to use that to start a new account. I'd done my research - not only did I know which bank I wanted, but I knew which account I wanted and what I needed for it. I thought. The lady talked to me like I was a retarded 5 year old. (Hmmmm, sounds familiar....)

-Hi, I need to open a new checking account.
-Ok, do you know what kind of account you want?
-Yes, "the best" checking.
-Yes, that's our most popular.
(At this point, she folds her hands on the desk, like she's very concerned.)
-Do you know the requirements to open an account?
-Yes I do.
-Well let me just get you a brochure. (circles the account info) Here are the requirements.
-Yes, I looked at it on the website.
-Where did you move from?
-Michigan, about a month ago.
(folds her hands again)
-Do you have an updated driver's license? Or something that shows your current address?
-Oh, no. The website didn't say anythng about that, and I've never needed it before.
(continues to be concerned because a retarded 5 year old is trying to be a grownup)
-Yeah, they really need to put that on there.
-Well let me see if I do have anything. (I pull out some mail that I have in my backpack and flip through it.) No, these are all my boyfriend's.
-Well will he be on the account with you?

I say no he won't and that I'll have to come back. She gives me her best concerned nod. But even if he was going to be on the account with me, wouldn't he have to be there? I mean we have different names, and one of the requirements (that I did meet) was 2 forms of ID. I am clearly not a Jason, and my check is not made out to Jason either. But obvioiusly I'm just a scared little girl, and I don't know how to take that big step of handling my own finances. She didn't even ask if I had a job or anything. Yay for condescending bank tellers!

On the way home, I watched the car behind me suddenly decide it needed to be in the far right lane. We were in the far left lane on a 3 lane street. Somehow a tiny car managed to block 3 lanes of traffic. His buddy decided to follow him. The truck in the middle lane decided to go around the first car, between that and the second car. I was waiting for the inevitable smashing sound, but it never came. Either way, I was glad I was in front of this mess instead of behind it.

And I arrived home, less than an hour after I left, and about 10 times as annoyed.

good news

2009-08-13T18:17:00.005-04:00

Today was potentially a good day on the job front. A local beer pub was having open interviews, so Jay and I headed down there. We walk in and there are a few people with paperwork and a few doing interviews. We're handed the applications and take a seat. Normal stuff: work history, education, etc, but on the back there is a quiz about beer. I realized that I know nothing about Belgian beers, which is the cornerstone of this pub. But I do the best I can.

When we finished the applications, we had a few minutes to sit around. A girl near us was doing her interview, so we sort of listened in. Now, the last question on the quiz was "how did Michael Jackson influence you?" Obviously a joke question, but I had an answer for it. (When I was 5 I broke my arm, and was moonwalking in the ER.) The guy doing the interview asked this girl "so how did you like the quiz?" She says it was fine, but what was with that last question? The guy laughed it off but she was serious. He was like "well you've heard of Michael Jackson, right?" And she said no. She was serious. There is a person in this world who - even after all the recent hubbub - had never heard of Michael Jackson. Jay and I exchanged shocked looks. I didn't think that was even possible, but there she was.

Our interview time came up, and we were separated. There were 3 different interviewers: I talked to Man A and Man B, and Jay talked to Man B and Woman. Man A was a lot more serious and business minded, but apparently I was entertaining enough that we talked for a long time. Jay kind of got brushed off it seems, so he was done way before me and was able to listen in on mine. Then I got Man B, and we spent more time joking and laughing, but still talked for a while. So hopefully one (or both) of us hears something from that. Sure, I'm the people person, but Jay is the one that knows beer. We would be a good team.

Then I had a "casual interview" about being a promo model for an energy drink. The guy mentioned he needed a sales rep as well, and Jay was there, so we are both now representatives of Cocaine Energy Drink. We go to bars and anywhere else we can, I wear a sexy schoolgirl outfit, we give away samples, and then when bar owners, etc. realize that this product can be sold, they talk to Jay. It's not a bad rap - right now it's not enough to pay the bills, but it's a nice coupla bucks. (To be honest, the drink is pretty tasty.)

So when we got home from all that, I once again hopped on craigslist. I applied to a retail position at a children's store, and a few minutes got a call for an interview. That happens on Monday. Since the energy drink thing is only a coupla hours a week, I can definitely hold a day job as well. So wish me luck with all my endeavors!

RARG

2009-08-11T15:07:00.004-04:00

I am so sick of looking for a job. And it's not like I'm not trying, either. I search all the internet job postings at least twice a day and apply to everything that I'm even remotely qualified for: everything from retail to receptionists to unnamed office jobs to food service to healthcare. I've only had 2 callbacks, and nothing came out of either one. This boggles my mind. I mean, I'm smart, professional, and the hardest worker they'll ever find, but nothing. We've gone out to pound the pavement for the downtown business that don't have websites, and none of them are hiring until "maybe next month."

I really hate jobs that require me to pay for a credit check. Maybe I have no money & bad credit BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A JOB! Ever think of that?

We finished painting our house, but that doesn't matter if we can't pay the rent there anyway.

Frustrated.
Poor.
Hungry.

That about sums it up.

Big bucket o' crazy

2009-08-07T22:15:00.003-04:00

Like most unemployed folks, I've taken to perusing craigslist. I saw an ad for "female tv spokesperson wanted" so I was like damn, I can do that. I replied to the email and got a response that they would be holding auditions / screen tests on Friday. (This was Wednesday.) I got another email on Thursday asking if we could chat on the phone sometime between 7-8pm Thursday night. However, I was painting all day, so didn't get the email until like 11pm. I responded, sorry I missed you, blah blah blah. Then he responded today (Friday) saying "I'd like to do that phone call if you call me within the next hour." Of course I didn't get the email in time. I called & left a message saying sorry I missed you blah blah blah. I still had hope for this opportunity.

Then I got this email:
************************
Everyone,
Ok, still pounding away on pre-production, if you need to call me call after 6:30 please, so, here's the skinny:
1. Try and be there around 7:40 p.m. (here are a mock interview sides and an overview for the MUSE - see attached)
2. We will do the interview with the same questions with each person in an avante gard fashion - lighting etc.
3. there are 3 songs each with a different twist - each will have a slide show happening on the green-screen behind me playing (see sample on YouTube channel - itsCARma1 - it's called Mermaid Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fsIuY9uEp4
4. We see some pose type slow modern dance form and some syncopated foreground shapes - here is a song sample: SING

ATTIRE:
1. interview < edgy androginous punk to masculine sheik, glasses, props etc. are a goody
2. Mermaid < anything flowing (white or solid) that can be carried with a fan
3. MUSE < interviewer outfits
4. Sing < more librarian vamp + euro-tramp
5. MEND < surprise us
*********************************************

And that's it. The email in its entirety, cut & pasted. It made as much sense to me as it does to you. Just to be sure I hadn't blown a gasket, Jay read it too. Now we were both confused about what was expected of me. What the hell kind of outfits am I supposed to bring? I emailed back basically WTF? He called me and I answered. Before even saying "Is this Des? This is Tim." He said "This is the Asheville Zoning Commission. We understand you've been painting without a painter's cap."" Yes, I did tell him I was painting my new house, but that's still an odd way to start a conversation with someone you've never talked to before. We had this conversation: "You don't know I wasn't wearing a painter's cap."
"I've been watching you from afar."
"Hey, that's really creepy."

The conversation turned to some state of normalcy and I got some of my questions kind of answered. As for the outfits, he said "bring something that shows off your character." So I changed into my long flowy skirt & brown peasant blouse (you know, what I would - and do - wear for a regular day). I brought the outfit I interview for real jobs in, and a fun purple polka dotted dress. Remember, most of my clothes are still packed. Cut to around 7:30pm tonight, we head out. He had said initially be there around 7:30, then 7:40, so we figured this was good.

We arrive and out front there's a guy taking photos of a girl on a picnic table. This is him. I introduce myself, and he gestures to the girl, who has 2 fully tattooed sleeves. "This is Meredith, she's helping me out a bit." This makes it seem like she's his assistant or something. But no, apparently she is another auditioner. I get a few pictures taken on the picnic table and we head inside.

We're at the studio for Asheville public tv. The guy goes into whatever room to do whatever he needs to do. Jay and I make small talk with Meredith, and she seems ok. Then this other chick walks in, and is immediately stupid and bitchy. She speaks loudly to the room about how she got lost and her car is in another parking lot really far away and she doesn't even know who she's supposed to be meeting or why. I wanted to tell her that I've lived in this town a month and was able to fnd the place ok (I mean it's downtown!) but decide to just look at her confusedly instead. Then she says to the random guys who actually work at the studio "Hey friend, where can I get some water?" But she said it not like they were friends at all, but her servants.

So we're all hanging around, making small talk with each other and some of the studio guys. Actually that's a lie - Meredith is talking about how the brain stops producing lithium and that's why she's bi-polar and that's why she did cocaine for 9 years. She no longer seems like an ok person. The other girl is chiming in with her stupidity. I actually felt myself getting dumber just by sitting near her. I don't have any specific examples, but you all know people like that.

It is now about 9pm, and we haven't heard anything from the guy that's supposed to be auditioning us or whatever, except when he asked what other kinds of outfits I had. Apparently he didn't like what I was wearing. He told me to wear the businessy thing, so I changed. And sat around some more. When Meredith said "well my IQ is 178, so..." I decided that it was time for us to leave. I could have handled chatting with my "competition" if any progress had been made in the actual audition department, but there were 3 girls there and we'd been there for over an hour and a half with nothing happening.

So me and Jay went and got Chinese food, and I apologized for making him sit through that.

new house

2009-08-04T20:35:00.002-04:00

No word on the job front yet. However, it has given us a chance to check out our new house and begin preparations to move into our actual home. It is a bit roomier than we thought it would be (still not huge of course), but there are some issues.

-It needs paint on both the inside and outside. Before the outside can be repainted, it needs to be resided and some wood needs to be replaced.
-There is termite damage in what will be our den. Part of the floor has aready been replaced, making it uneven. They are supposedly going to spray for termites and we will cover the offending area with a thick rug, and hopefully that helps.
-The front door doesn't close all the way unless it's deadbolted.
-The ceiling fan in the living room doesn't work.
-There is large overgrowth in the backyard, which we've already seen houses rodents and possibly snakes and other unfriendlies.
-Within minutes of going in the (still empty) house, both Jay and I were covered in fleas. I've gotten in the habit of using a bug spray every day, so I didn't get bitten by them. But Jay has 19 separate bites on his ankles & legs.

There are a few other, more minor things that need to be fixed but they are not as high priority. There's enough wrong with the place that under normal circumstances, I wouldn't rent it. The reason we are taking it now is because Jay's sister will be our landlord. We need to rebuild our credit (I'm in debt consolidation and Jay just claimed bankruptcy), and we still get to act like we own the place: any changes we make will just add to the value when we move out & Jessica sells it. Conversely, if we decide we like it enough, we can buy it and sell it later ourselves.

I mean, there's some good to it too. It's a HOUSE. It's cheaper than our apartment in Michigan was. There are brand new appliances, including a washer & dryer. It has a yard, which has garden space (both vegetable and flower!). We're only a hundred yards away from Jessica's place (where we currently live). And you know what, the house is darn cute!

Today was spent scrubbing the walls and floors. Apparently they were smokers and had a cat, so the place was FILTHY! I was kind of annoyed that we had to clean someone else's dirty house, but I guess it's our comeuppance for leaving our last place such a wreck. (oops) We went and bought some insect bombs to set off tonight so hopefully there will be less bugs. Tomorrow we'll be putting the primer in the living room & bedroom, and Thursday we paint! We don't have the money to do all the rooms right now, so we're doing the main ones - the others can wait. So in theory, we move all of our stuff out of Jessica's garage (and our tiny temporary bedroom - lodgings) on Friday. Normal life can resume.

But we stll need jobs for a *completely* normal life.

movin along

2009-08-01T21:25:00.005-04:00

I had a job interview on Friday, at a clothing store in the mall. I think it went well, so hopefully I get the full time Assistant Manager position - though I would settle for part time cashier. I would have to get another job too, but I'm kind of expecting to do that anyway. I would get a 40% discount on super cute (and cheap) clothes. Their dress code is pretty casual (jeans with "appropriate" holes are ok, for example), but this is what I wore to the interview (notice the lack of tattoos!):

Yes, that is Star Trek Generations on the tv.

Luckily I could leave my tattoos uncovered if I got the job.

So when I uploaded the above photo to facebook, it matched me with an ad. I took a screenshot.

Notice the colors, posing, and jewelry location. I thought it was hilarious.

We saw our new place today. It wasn't as small as we thought it would be, which is good. However, it does need to be sprayed for termites, an all-over scrub, and a paint job before we move in, and then some ongoing work after we actually get our crap over there. But it will be nice to have a place of our own again (and be able to unpack!). 2 people & a cat living out of a tiny bedroom is not what I woud call an ideal living situation.

I finished the bracelet I was working on. Go check it out and let me know if you have a design I should make for you.

Ok, that's all for now. TTFN.

Lucky to be there

2009-07-30T11:48:00.004-04:00

Inspired by The Cheese Party, I'm posting some pictures that were all about the timing of me happening to be there with my camera.

During a thunderstorm in Michigan before I moved, I was playing with my camera's settings.

The first picture is normal nighttime. The second is during a flash of sheet lightning a second later.

In another vein, this picture was taken when I was in CA for my sister's wedding. We were wandering the beach and saw these lovely eople getting their own wedding pictures taken. So I took a picture of their pictures.

What are your best timed shots?

weekend

2009-07-27T23:17:00.006-04:00

This weekend was the Bele Chere festival in Asheville, which apparently is a pretty big deal. Basically all of downtown turns into a street fair with music, vendors, food, crafts, etc. Admission & the bands are free. Like any city that has something like this, the locals tend to hate it. Since Jay and I are still relatively new locals, we had to check it out.

We were there most of Friday, stealing away occasionally to real restaurants to get cheap food and have breaks from the crowd. I took a ton of pictures (of course) because there was some damn fine people watching. Check them out at my Flickr. There was a girl selling chokers and anklets - the kind that you put on once and then they stay forever - and I really wanted one. However, the no job thing meant that I didn't have the $25 required, and she didn't have a website or anything where I could get one later. So, I'll just have to learn to make them myself.

We meant to go back Saturday & Sunday, but what can I say? Laziness took over. Instead, I worked on this bracelet, which is exactly halfway done now.

Speaking of jobs, no luck yet. We went to the mall today so I could hopefully get something, even if it's not the best job in the world. I applied at B&N, because I did technically work there before and maybe when I'm not surrounded by spoiled Park Slope children, it could be tolerable. I also applied at a few other stores that actually had signs in the windows looking for help. Hopefully it won't be a waste of my time.

ps - if anyone wants any jewelry, (or a custom loom bracelet like that one) I could really use the money!

we live in a zoo

2009-07-24T11:04:00.002-04:00

Femi sleeps in Jessica's room, Lily sleeps in Jessica's roommate's room, and Mecrutio sleeps in our room. Lately the roommate hasn't been home so we've been taking care of Lily. Poor little sausage dog gets lonely, so we decided to leave our door open in case she wanted to come sleep with us. I had no idea that her tiny legs would have the power to propel her onto our bed, which is a few feet of the ground, but the other night BAM! Dog on the bed.

Thankfully, Lily and Mecrutio completely ignore each other. (It's Femi that likes to chase the cat.) So when Lily jumped up to cuddle, Mecru didn't bat an eyelash. We all spent a very warm night jammed into a full-size bed: me, Jay, Lily, and Mecrutio. I was especially warm because Lily slept on my feet. But whatever, I deal.

Until the morning. God forbid someone drive by, because Lily has to bark her little sausage head off. This not only startles Jay and I awake, it also startles Mecru awake. When the cat is startled, he bolts. Have I mentioned that Mecrutio sleeps on my chest? So when he bolted I got 2 very long painful scratches across my chest & neck.

This made for a few grumpy minutes while Lily was kicked out of the bedroom and the cat retreated under the bed. We got back to sleep, and then there were at least 2 separate birds outside taunting the cat. CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP, really loud, right next to the window, right above our heads. Eventually I got fed up with it and went into the living room. Jay later told me that another bird came and did the same thing later, which forced him to wake up.

Add this to our curtainless, East-facing windows that allow the hot morning sun to shine right on our faces, and needless to say, we didn't sleep well that night. Sleeping arrangements have since been altered.

this week in the life of des

2009-07-20T11:24:00.003-04:00

The other day, Jessica took us hiking. Well, hiking's a bit of an exaggeration - it was a fairly easy uphill trail that was less than a mile. But I had my camera along of course and took lots of pictures. Go check them out at my flickr. I'm too lazy to upload all 68 pics to blogger because the system sucks. Also I think they're all pretty darn good so I didn't want to just choose a few. There are lots of landscapes, and a few of me, Jason, Jessica, and the dog Femi. I'm sure I'll go hiking again soon. And take more pictures.

In other news, I had a second interview for the job I want at the grocery store. This time I was meeting the store manager. I think it went well, but the store manager was much more businessy and less personable than the other guy I was talking to. We were talking about me benig a vegetarian, and the store manager said "well I do have an opening in the meat department. Would you be willing to work there?" I told him it's definitely not my first choice, but I would glady take something over nothing. Plus there is always the possibility of advancement and / or switching departments, which is one of the points they kept repeating. I couldn't tell if it was a "test" or if there really is an opening there. This interview wasn't as long as last time's (but how could it be - that was an hour and a half!). I asked if the first guy still wanted me to call and check in on Tuesday, and he said "Definitely - unless I call you first!" so the second interview definitely ended on a high note.

I keep having dreams about getting a puppy. I don't even know if we're ready for a new puppy yet (we haven't technically moved into our own place yet), but there was an ad on craigslist for border collie / austrailian shepherd puppies being weaned at the end of this month. They were only $25. I would love to have that kind of dog, but Jay wants another lab. So we'll see.

Other than that, I still keep on keeping on.

edited to add: I just got a call saying I didn't get the job in the meat department. But he's going to pass my info on to another department, and apparently I did impress the store manager. I didn't want to work with meat anyway.