Saturday, March 13, 2004
too many things...
on my plate today still but to take a sec for a breather and slap up one of YJ's pics for the new background. I think it's the Eaton Centre, but whadda I know? I just know I like it. Thanks YJ, looking forward to tomorrow and catching up.I just looked down at my lap and it has this written all over it: "soaking wet and pissed off dog" so I must go fulfill it's destiny until there is dryness and happiness.
UPDATE: who knew that expensive dog shampoo actually did so much? She's softer then ever and smells wonderful. She's like a little piece of Heaven. If Heaven were mad at me, that is.
lyric at post:
..I could say day, and you'd say night, tell me it's black when I know that it's white..
I win!
Embarassing as it is to admit, I just sat for 15 minutes, refreshing 'my ebay' every minute or so to make sure the bastards didn't outbid me on this one. I don't think the sniper thing is fair play. Silly me. But at least the living room is well dusted so I feel I've quite accomplished something.Friday, March 12, 2004
good friends
This will be a long one. Just so you know.I know where it starts and tonight was only a continuation but I have no idea where it'll ever end and sometimes, from a 'take a step back' context, that frightens me.
First, I should mention the very first thing I got in shit for tonight, in showing up to meet the boys.
People email me and say - "did you really say that to Jen?" and then I go look at the blog and think, "I didn't fucking say *that*"
So, that would be Tony:here. There's Tony:here who's one of my closest friends. Then, there's Tony:there. My ex, my best friend, my beneficiary - who lives in Victoria. So from now on, there just must be Tony:here and Tony:there. I apologize for any confusion.
Tony:here says
I have the perfect email I've been meaning to send you. It's about people you meet and relationships that you have."
me: "You mean - a reason, a season, a lifetime?"
Tony, here: "Yeah, you know it?"
me: (without even thinking) "Don't bother sending it. It's pants, honey. I don't believe anymore."
Tony:here: "I was so excited. You burst my bubble. *pop* like that. I thought it was so perfect for you. Fuck, for all I know, you *wrote* it."
So, that said, on to the story I want to tell.
When I first started working for the companythatshallnotbenamed back in 1999 I was a wide-eyed tech who learned by the seat of my pants. There was, of course, a guru. The guy who knew it all, that be-all and end-all guy. His name was Peter. And he reminded me of my brother-in-law, whom I love like you wouldn't believe, and so (in the way of these things) I immediately liked Peter. But, as I was to find out, the reverse was not true.
The core group drank together every night. And one night, after I'd been there about a month, I went down to join them. I spoke to Peter about having cleared with my boss to spend some time every day with him, if he was okay with it, so I could learn from him, knowing only that there was so much I had to learn.
And then the shit hit the fan.
He snapped. This man hated me. He hated that some little bitch (I was the only woman) came along who *thought* she was just as good as everyone else. Who was taking jobs away from people who actually went to school. And on. And on. And on.
Needless to say, by the end of this, I was in tears. And, apart from the simple fact that I've been a bit weepy about the dog, back then I wasn't, so it's not so easy to make this little bitch cry.
My boss, knowing in the way of tight-knit work communities, that this had happened, made the two of us work together. Which was horrible. But, in time, Peter came to understand that I actually could do the work. And that I could do it better, faster and more accurately than the men could.
That he could yell at me and I would go away and he would show up a half an hour later to stand behind me, unbenownst to me with my headphones on and music cranked, to see that I could take away what he said, understand it and apply it within a short time frame.
He has since indicated to me at different times that if there were anyone he would apprentice, it would be me. He told me tonight that he's still trying to convince them to allow me to apprentice to him (I left in August of 2002) and I agreed that if he can swing it I would come back for a year. But, whatever, that's another maybeinthefuture story.
To get back to it, we became a tight knit group. We worked our asses off during the day and hit the bar at the end of the day. Every night. The people in that core group were; Peter, Darren, Bill, Dave, Tony:here, Janey, Dirk, Dan and Joel.
Darren is an astrophysicist (sp?) and admittedly, weird at the best of freaking times. Janey, Dirk and Dan are/were too young and blessed to have anything mar their perfect lives (and I don't mean that in the bad way it sounds - it's just the truth). Joel, is Joel, and I've written about him before, but he, too, seems to live a charmed life.
As for the rest of us....
Peter's wife had been sick with cancer for the longest time. Then I found out I had lung cancer. These people were the only people I told between that May that I found out and July and that wasn't until after the surgery. So, for time frames sake, this was May of 2002. In January of 2003, Bill found out that he had something wrong with his heart and he had three months to live. There was one surgeon, in the US, who could do the surgery he needed but this surgeon had a two year waiting list. I remember the night they got us together to tell us. I've never seen grown men so heartbroken. It was a terrible night. Everyone cried - which suprised me as I'd never seen these men cry before, they were the strong ones, the unemotional ones, the stoic ones.
Tony:here told me later that they did the same thing for me one night when I wasn't around and that came damn near close to breaking my heart.
Then, in July 2003, after the long seesaw of getting better and getting worse, Peter's wife died. I was devastated. I couldn't go to the service. I tried, but through everything I had been strong and this just...broke me. I think Peter understood. I don't know, we've never talked about it. The first time I've seen him since then was tonight. I've sent emails, I've left messages, I've sent my love with everyone everytime I've spoken to them...but I just haven't been able to handle all the pain that we've all been through.
They found someone to operate on Bill later last year and so far, he's doing okay. But, although I've spoken to him, I have not seen him.
Tonight, one of the first things Darren said to me was, "You should call Dave. His girlfriend died this week. Brain aneurysm, no warning. He's not doing so well."
They've been together for three years.
She was 33.
And I can't but help think / hope that we're a statistical anomaly. It would be so sad if our little group were the norm. And in a way, it's not so sad because these people were my rock for so long. They didn't treat me differently, they dealt with it and got on with it. And I love them all the more for that. But I love whosoever is orchestrating all this all the less for putting, me aside, some of the best people I've ever known in my life through such pain in such a short amount of time.
It was good to be together with them again. To fight about Golden Tee golf, to kick each other's asses at pool, to hear Peter say that he's gotten all my emails and each one makes him smile for days and days, to hear Tony tell me that I sound, finally, better. That he'd missed the funny and happy Jen and that it does his heart good to see her again, because he's missed her so much.
It's been hard for me to go see them again, it seems like we've been friends forever, it seems like forever since I've seen them altogether. But, walking in there tonight, there's no guilt about not seeing each other for so long, there's nothing in that room but happiness, and love beyond words and support beyond imagining.
And, that, is partly what a reason, a season, a lifetime is all about, at least to me. Think carefully, before you speak.
I do.
strangely unexcited...
...by the confirmation of my 15% promotion slash raise. Maybe it's been the absolute torturous and unnecessary six week lead up that's killed the denouement.Or maybe I just don't give a shit. Maybe they've destroyed my fragile and precious spirit rather than given it the care and nurturing that it requires to withstand the harsh and unfriendly world we live in .
Okay, that last part made me laugh, now everyone's looking at me.
No less than four people have asked me today if I really did win on scratch and wins.
And Tony refuses to take no for an answer about meeting them tonight and has insisted that he'll be at the house to pick me up, after giving me enough time to take care of the dog after work.
And a little extra time to cover up MY PIMPLE. You know, the one I haven't had for four years. The one that decides to show up two days before picture day?
What, am I sixteen again? sheesh.
lyric at post:
..I could change my life to better suit your mood, cause you're so smooth..
The Friday Five
Over here.1. What was the last song you heard?
Tool - Opiate
2. What were the last two movies you saw?
Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Secondhand Lions.
3. What were the last three things you purchased?
a case of beer for the office, a pork chop for dinner, a coffee.
4. What four things do you need to do this weekend? Houseclean, make the dog all pretty, (for) her picture taking with YJ, getting thyself to a damn bookstore.
5. Who are the last five people you talked to? (making this on the personal phone, otherwise it'd be work people, which is boring....)
in reverse order - YJ, Heather, my big brother, maJen, Tony.
The song I'm listening to right now is this hip-hoppy get up and dance mix but man, the vampirey words are a bit erm.... woe is me. It's a little incongruous.
lyric at post:
..I fed you once from my soul, now I'm forever slave to your needs,
I'm weighed down in sin, no freedom within, I don't live like an ordinary girl,
Cause that's my life you're throwing down the back of your throat..
witty, so witty
I 'borrowed' CF's office yesterday for the network connection. And no, I don't know why I didn't just use mine but..whatever. As I'm on the phone trying to connect with the IT fella, CF wanders over to my unprotected computer and sends the following email to the entire office from my account...Hey! I just won $100 on scratch and win. Beers on me after work.
Yours
Jen
I responded, not before the phone rang four times...
This is what happens when you piss off CF. He's a vindictive little bugger, ain't he?
He responds with this...
Hold on a second. Why do I become the fall guy? You won money. You thought you'd be generous. Then you changed your mind. And now you blame me? Shame.
Then MS has to get in on it.
Would you two please stop? First I hear we're getting free beer and I get excited. Then, I hear we aren't getting free beer and I become disappointed. Finally, I have my nose rubbed in it that we're not getting free beer - now I'm feeling frustrated because all I can think about is free beer that I'm not getting.
CF: MS, there is some free beer just outside of PL's office - compliments of T1.
(T1 had dropped a case and broken a whole bunch about 20 minutes previous to this.)
ME: And *that* really would be rubbing your face in it.
MS: You should know that it was my beer he decided to water the carpet with.
It had been rough day with the clients. What can I say?
lyric at post:
..never settle for less than the sky,
and if you walk out, don't ever let them see you cry..
Thursday, March 11, 2004
distraction
Cause I'm peeved about something else too, but I'm not going to tell the blog what it is.Stolen from Jen,also's .... 100 Best Novels. One the 'board' side, I've read four, three of which we had to in high school. And I further own two I haven't even contemplated reading in the 10 years or so they've been kicking around. On the 'reader' side - 20. And one I own but haven't (again) read. It is extremely gratifying to see Charles deLint on there as he is the most magical fella. Canadian, resides in Ottawa. Wrote a book called 'Jack the Giant Killer' - a retelling of the fairy tale, which pretty much tells the story of the faerie my mother told me I was. (some backstory in the bio - I just haven't gotten around to telling the whole story yet and frankly, may never).
And yeah, that's all I got.
amusing, myself
Yet another board meeting with our 'manager' (and I use that term loosely) who's been told we're not renewing our contract. Who's become quite snotty. I made a couple of comments, which although completely valid, were met by said stunned cowlike (with apologies to lulabelle and beatrice) human being, in not a nice nor polite fashion at all.I finally just gave up and amused myself by typing the minutes into the laptop the way I wanted to...
The Romulan just denied any knowledge of the large amounts of money we're pissing away as she 'doesn't handle the financials.'
The large hipped women sitting across from me growing ever more large, just tried to tell the 'new' board that she recommended to the 'old' board that we switch elevator maintenance companies, all the while obviously forgetting I was ON the old board. While denying any knowledge of the addendum to the original contract signed by the developers that says (quoting from memory here) "your elevators are shite and we'll maintain them at the current levels but we are SO not responsible for the MAJOR safety issues that already exist."
and it is now 7:55 and Jen couldn'tpossiblycareless Secretary is about to pack up said laptop as she is bidding on something on ebay which ends in 10 minutes.
I quite enjoyed all that. I guess I'll actually have to do the work tomorrow to tickety-boo it up.
Except I missed the end of the auction and some *bastard* outbid me in the final five minutes.
Which does not amuse me.
lyric at post:
..I remember feeling low I remember losing hope
And I remember all the feelings and the day they stopped
We are, we are all innocent..
people on the street
Walking home just now, it being such a beautiful day and thinking about going pretty much right back out again, I was waiting at a corner for the light to change and someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and there was some guy on a bike motioning at me to take off my headphones. So I did. He said, "You have beautiful eyes." I said, "Thanks" and put my headphones back on.I guess I should have said something else to him but the last person who did that and I spoke too, started following me around and being 'coincidentally' outside my building when I walked the dog. And those conversations got progressively creepier even though the second time he stopped me I became monosyllabic.
Crossing the street, I was wondering - if he came up behind me how could he have seen my eyes?
And then I realized that he was the guy who passed me in the previous crosswalk two blocks back and must have turned around and followed me.
Which begs the question, what exactly are people who do that expecting the response to be? I always went on the theory that they just wanted to say something nice to a stranger, but obviously I'm naive cause that little theory has almost never been borne out.
And I feel sort of bad that I'm suspicious and cynical.
That said, I'm off again.
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
I never get the good stuff
Someone just found me by googling "ginch". YJ, I hold you responsible for that.Lulabelle and Beatrice. I'm not telling you which is which. And they'll probably only be here until I actually use one of yj's lovely local pics but that'll be in a couple days as tomorrow night is toast, already.
I also just thought, as an added *bonus* I'll put the correct song and title in the comments after a couple days for those of you (donna) who don't guess them (donna). :)
lyric at post:
..don't say that you love me
just tell me that you want me..
round and round the mulberry bush
I can't decide whether to watch 'Treed Murray' or have a hot bath. Of course, there's also 'Fubar' which makes me think of Kyle. He's working out in Libya - it seems like forever, but this is the second birthday there (on the Great Man Made River, which makes me laugh, still) and it's his birthday today? tomorrow? Depends where you are in the time zones I guess but he tried to make me go see Fubar before he left and I just ...couldn't. But now I feel bad. Especially since it's on and I still don't want to see it. Happy Birthday, Kyle. Sorry dude. But whatever, you're still younger than me. That's something.The dog too, is all about running around in circles in some weird manifestation of my indecision. She's gotten used to, the last couple weeks, treats galore. Treats when I leave, when I get home, treats wrapped around pills, treats coated in honey-flavored anti-inflammatories, treats with that really rocking makes-me-high painkiller, treats, treats, treats. She has decided that she is entitled to something new and exciting roughly every fifteen minutes and so pounces, flounces, rushes, circles and shows me all the tricks I've taught her over the years. Which she never showed any aptitude at learning..well, except now that it suits her.
I don't think she cares that every single extra pound we pack on her little puppy body means I just have to pay more for her erm...care and disposal, as it's all based on weight. And why should she, really? And since I don't either, I just feed her more. It's become a bit of a game, her last weigh in was 17 kg (40 lbs), I'm aiming for at LEAST three more pounds before the 29th.
Work was work. Just that. No more, no less. Busy, and a little weird as I try to come up with ways of addressing the ambigious lets-just-say remarks made at the review. But whatever, if it's being left to my interpretation, then it has to be okay. Or, they'll just have to tell me what they want.
Tomorrow is another busy day, but mostly grunt work as I did all the database design I needed to do today. And in a program I learned ...well, today. Go, me.
And also, JB's birthday. She's been picking on all of us lately about being older than her, so I bought a card that said...
The best thing to do, when getting older, is to stand next to people who look older than you.
Get the hell away from me.
And, still, having made no decision, I wander off again. Maybe I'll change the background. Wave bye-bye to Kipling.......
lyric at post:
..but stay awhile and maybe then you'll see, a different side of me..
it's the little things
I know it's probably a bit annoying that I keep saying 'it's a beautiful day' but I promise, once we actually hit spring here, I'll stop saying it, it'll be a moot point as every day here will be a beautiful day, at least until next winter. Although winters here are invariably sunny while being colder than ... you could ever reasonably fathom (well, I was going to say 'a witch's tit' which was something we said as kids when we had really no idea what cold was, but then... I thought...oops, that might upset BW slightly, so I didn't) ...we really just deal with it and get on with, well, stuff. But once it feels like it just..might..be..ending, then you find yourself exclaiming incessently every time a nice day comes along.Yesterday, although admittedly I missed a large portion of the morning, was a beautiful day until lunch when the 30k winds blew in, whereupon it rained, then tried to snow, then rained again and then actually did snow a little.
Rain here in Calgary is nothing compared to the torrential downpours of the west coast (which I was more than happy to leave behind) but I find that when it does rain here, I get all excited. In leaving work last night, that first step outside the door begged for a pause while I breathed deeply of the fresh air. For some reason, although we are roughly 650 miles from the ocean, rain here makes the air directly surrounding my work smell like seaweed. And so I stop and breathe. Deeply.
...While trying not to think about the nasty things that could conceivably make that part of town smell like seaweed as that would spoil the whole illusion and really, just take all the fun out of it.
Last night walking the dog as she sidestepped around puddles and snuffled in the fresh snowfall, I was thinking about the things I realize now to be lately more self-evident:
and I said to myself - "Self" - and I knew it was me cause I recognized the voice
#1. The dog can still piss me off. Beyond words. Beyond the point where I want to smack her. And that's okay.
#2. I actually said / wrote I'll be okay without the dog a couple days ago. And even though she's looking at me with that face, I mean it. And that's okay, too.
#3. The posts are beginning to balance out. (I said beginning) as I come to terms with the whole thing. I feel more like me. And that probably doesn't mean much to all of you who think I'm some sort of freak (albeit an interesting one) but to those of you that do know the real-life me, probably makes you feel a lot better?
#4. I really need to.... oh nevermind.
#5. I don't need to stay here. And maybe, even if work comes through, I won't. And maybe I will. It just doesn't matter anymore and I don't need to worry about it because I can do whatever I want to. And I will. Just because I don't know what that is yet...doesn't make it any less of a completely valid and real possibility.
That makes me think of something my dad said once when everyone was freaking out about one more thing they didn't think I should do...Jennifer will do what Jennifer wants to do. Leave her alone.
But now I'm laughing. Again. And that, too, is a good thing. Trust me on this one.
lyric at post:
..Come sail your ships around me, and burn your bridges down.
We make a little history baby, every time you come around..
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
things I wanted to remind myself of
The Goody! category. Annie and Sting. How perfect is that? Only October is years away.Oh, Damn! category.They found Spalding Gray. Unfortunately, not alive and well. Which is a terrible loss.
Incomprehensible Things category. The bottom drawer of my dishwasher. For two years I've been trying to figure out how exactly the dishes are supposed to go in for maximum efficiency / jamming. And I have come to the conclusion that either I'm a complete and utter idjit or that the little prongs are just not designed to make any sort of placement sense at all.
I Laughed Till I Cried category. I'll Have A Tenner On The Archbishop Of Canterbury, Please. You may not want to read that one if you're a bit touchy about ..uh.. religion.
Email Comments I Thought Funny but You Probably Won't category. I just wanted to keep 'em and yeah, I hacked 'em up and changed them around to protect the innocent.
Just wondering what the plan/agenda is for this weekend's pics. Time, date, etc.? Need some advance notice, so I can pack up all my camera equipment.
*pause*
Okay, fine, all I have to do is put the camera in my pocket as I'm running out the door, but "camera equipment" sounds impressive.
I'll burn a disk when we're done. We'll figure out how I'll get that to you. I'm thinking of meeting on an abandoned bridge at midnight. In a fog. With searchlights. And barbed wire. And German Shepherds. Wait. Sorry. WWII spy-exchange flashback.
Maybe you shouldn't have done that thing with the molasses, the Saran Wrap, and the bungee cord. At least not so soon. Things like that can intimidate a guy. Guys don't make sense. You know that. As the Poster Boy for Not Making Sense, I say this with authority.
("Pants", derived from "underpants" is a Brit expression, no? If it is, would Canadian kids say "gotch" or "ginch" or "shorts" or something, then? Food for thought.)
Ginch, gotch, gonch, gitch...all regional. Out in Ontario, we used "gitch". In Saskatchewan we used "gotch". The other two are vaguely disturbing to me. Maybe it's the implied "pinch" in "ginch". And on that train of thought, "gonch" would imply "ponch"...and "Ponch", if you recall, was the name of the cop Eric Estrada played on CHiPs, and God knows no guy (no straight guy) wants Ponch in his pants.
was just thinking about pointed dude, Bert, and his cohort, Ernie.
Ernie has a big head, Jen. is it possible you learned to fixate on big-headed guys back in your childhood days?
food for thought.
I want a nap. And a rye-and-coke. Over ice. Minus the ice. And maybe the Coke. And a car with a smaller engine because I just read that gas prices are gonna be in $.80/litre territory this spring. Wait, forget the smaller engine. Just gimme a million bucks.
Back to the Verbal Abuse Machine.
tee hee hee
lyric at post:
..Who else is gonna bring you a broken arrow?
Who else is gonna bring you a bottle of rain?
There he goes moving across the water..
look at me, I'm soo smooth
Smooth move #1: Did I forget to turn on the alarm clock? Or did I just roll over and shut it off? In the great time-honored tradition of my impeccable timing, I was an hour late for work. Today was not a good day for that. After yesterday. I'm hiding. But man, did I sleep well. Could this be the end of the insomnia?Smooth move #2: I've just spent roughly 10 days thinking RW's not bloody updating. Until this morning when I realized that I'd linked the blogroll to an archive url. So, erm, sorry about all the bad words I said.
Smooth move #3: oh, well, not as yet. But it's only lunch, innit? Give me time.
lyric at post:
..all I ever wanted, was a place out by the sun, to watch the world go by and take each day as it comes..
Monday, March 08, 2004
a little more...
Rod Stewart makes me laugh. I did the search thing, after talking to Lesley about Rosie(you were going to live with him? you always hated him. how did I miss that whole thing? was it in the last ten years? god, I've missed so much of your life. what happened? tell me everything. jeebus, you *loathed* him, whenever we saw him in the bar you called him 'pig' and just to piss you off he called you 'piglet', I was constantly waiting for you to wind up and jab him one. *oh my god* Nick stayed with you in '98 when he moved out there, didn't he - was it his fault? ...are you going to call him when you come out?)
He always had this thing for 'Forever Young'. I always had a thing for 'Broken Arrow'. Last I heard, he wasn't making it out for Nick's wedding a couple summers ago as he was heading out to the east coast to spend a year on a submarine. In considering that every single person I've known who's spent a year on the subs comes back a far different (and not in a completely sane way) person, well, I think there will be no phone calls, no getting together for coffees.
Remember that diaper commercial for 'Forever Young'? :)
Sometimes I think there are just too many people in my life. Can that be a bad thing?
Or maybe it's just going home and compressing a good 17 years into seven days that makes it all seem so overwhelming. To see the people I've loved, who've loved me, who were such a big part of my life and who I turned out to be...gahh, it's like willfully committing yourself to shock therapy.
erm...not that that's necessarily a bad thing?
Brent emailed today to say he would take the whole time off when I came out. Except I don't want to spend all my time with Brent. Or with almost anyone for that matter. We came down to dinner with the boys and a day hiking (if the Pilates doesn't kill me, the hiking will). I'm getting the feeling that he needs to have me around a little, and I guess that's what friendship comes right down to, in the end. Being there when they need you to be. And so, I will be.
I'll be okay without the dog once I've adjusted but I think he's going to have the harder time without his job, given how much he loved it. I know, I used to work there and I loved it too.
I'm glad all over again that I'm staying in a hotel - it may be the only time I spend with myself.
Then, M found me. I knew I never should have said 'weenor' all those months ago. *smile* But after your email scared the crap out of me this morning, I panicked and had to go back to see if I said anything mean. Which I may have or may not have, depending on how you took what I wrote.
Regardless, it wasn't meant to be.
Lacey and I hauled out the deck chair and hung out on the balcony for a while. Man, I've missed that. But winter here is at least three more snowfalls from being over - it was nice while it lasted.
Work. A 15% raise is unheard of. I was wanting 20%. No, not greedy me, just reasonable. And he and I both agree on that. That he asked for that is a large vote for me. He's not so good at praise though so that big revelation was followed by quite a few theoretical and roundabout ways of telling me all the things I'm just pants at.
Which, on the way home, grew a little bigger than they were meant to be, coupled with the rest of the day, led to me feeling very much like the kitty's catnip toy.
I'm over it now.
Apologies to jen,also for making her wait. ;) Forgiven?
lyric at post:
..and may you never love in vain, and in my heart you will remain, forever young..
meow
*pounce* *batbatbat* *chew*That's what today was like.
Not necessarily a bad thing, I'm just a pooped from ducking all the things that crept up today and feeling a bit gnawed on.
I do know what the boss asked for, which is right at the lower edge of the benchmark I decided was 'acceptable'. Of course, we just went back to waiting to see what the 'decision makers' thought of the request. So, nothing is decided but some things became a little clearer and a little easier.
And now, if you'll excuse me, it's a been a beautiful day which calls for a long dog walk and a nap.
Sunday, March 07, 2004
how can you not love someone...
who comes out with little gems like this..."I'm sorry that you can't come out on the 26th for the dance. I really wanted you here for that."
"Why, do you need a date?"
"Me? Need a date? Fuck that. I'm going with four women. What's the point of taking a sandwich to a smorgasboard, love?"
"Well, we'll spend that whole Saturday together and then I'll take you out for dinner, a couple nice bottles of wine and then we can go from there."
"You are so sweet."
"Yeah, well, I can write it off."
Tony is wonderfully obsessed with not paying the government money he doesn't think he should have to pay as a small businessman trying to get ahead. Granted, he's worked his ass off for years and his extreme annoyance with all things 'that must be paid to big brother' makes for some interesting exchanges. He even called one time to tell me that if he could work it out to his benefit, since I'd given up a good wage for a job I actually liked, (ie: he could income share) we should get married.
Not the most tempting offer, true, but coming from someone who believes not one whit in marriage, was actually quite a big step for him.
ohh, I'm making him sound quite horrid, aren't I? He's not. Not in the slightest. You'll just have to take my word for it. I may be the only one on the planet that gets his sense of humor in the vein that it's intended and with the understanding of the feelings that prompt it.
So, that's another day accounted for and plans have been made with the Lesmeister for the day after I arrive.
...now, we just have to hope that all else holds together, according to 'plan' between now and then.
out in the 'hood
Walking the dog, meandering along the sidewalk under blue skies scattered with clouds and enjoying that the wind (blessedly) has moved to another place and I feel less than more scattered this morning. A pedestrian approaches us, moving at a fairly fast clip, completely normal looking, wearing headphones, roughly 25 or so, carrying his jacket in a way that scritches against the concrete when he takes a step. Without pausing or even slowing down, from about five feet away he says...What did the dog say when he sat on the log?
I grunt halfheartedly, only one cup of coffee into my Sunday morning, while I try to figure out if he said 'SAT' or 'SHAT' (one never knows in my neighborhood).
He's already five feet past us (*scritch, scritch*) when he says,
Ruff. Bark.
No less than three strangers have stopped me to comment on the hair color change in the last week. Not those stranger-types that you know, the bus driver, the girls at the store beside my condo or that weird little floor sweeper in my work building, but utterly complete and total strangers. People I swear I have never ever seen in my life. People who are talking to me and I'm thinking, Who *are* you? Where did you just come from? Why do you think that you *know* me?
I obviously don't look confused enough as they never tell me where I've shown up in their daily radar, only that they quite like the new color.
I guess I should actually look around me, once in a while.
In a completely unrelated comment, I did my taxes last night. And it was bad. And that caught me off guard.
My weekly horoscope:
Boding....not well...astrological pish or not.
lyric at post:
..and then you call me, and it's not so bad, it's not so bad..
