amc_chandler

pangs

Nov. 26th, 2009 at 8:10 AM

It's time for Buffy Thanksgiving episode! Spike tied to a chair... ritual sacrifice with pie... my life is good.

Turkey goes in the oven in two hours. That is all.

I knew there was a reason I didn't like that nasty green bean casserole. It isn't supposed to be served for Thanksgiving! If the internet says so, it must be true. http://www.slate.com/id/2236559/ I'm just glad that is was never a tradition in my family. I don't think I even knew about it until I was in my early 20s. Didn't miss a thing.

no more reno please

Nov. 23rd, 2009 at 11:06 AM

I've spent two weekends up in Reno this month. I really don't like that town. Kind of like Bakersfield - the armpit of the state. Too many creepy dive bars and tattoo parlors and thrift shops and it's depressing as hell. Never mind the people inside of the casino. As much as I like spending the time with each set of people I've gone with, I'm thankful no one is going again any time soon. At least, not that I'm aware of.

But I do like the drive up there. Granted, I like most drives anywhere, but there was beautiful snow covering everything this weekend. I want to wander around the old railroad tressle and take pictures. After climbing all over it of course. And I want to have time to stop at some of the spots where the trees are growing out of those amazing rocks and just sit there. Guess I should see what my sister is doing one weekend and drag her up there. Although I don't think she'd argue it at all.

contributing factors - money

Nov. 19th, 2009 at 12:44 PM

I knew my budget was off, but I didn't realize how far. I just ran the numbers, and before credit cards, property taxes, car maintenance and registration, vet bills, medical co-pays, dining out, movies, birthdays or holidays, I have $15 a month. Things just crept up over the last year, and I wasn't paying attention. No more roommate, pool costs, having to pay the cell, we don't get money back from our unused medical "allowance" at work, and the fact that everything just costs more. I'm actually spending way less this year in "fun money," but it wasn't enough to make up the difference. And yes, I did a bit of damage to the credit card with India and Texas, but even without that factored in, I'm not making ends meet. Time to adjust how much is going in to the 401K and keep my fingers crossed that I get a raise this year.

What bothers me most is that it's almost time to adopt holiday families and I don't know if I can participate this year. I have for the past nine years, even when I was going to school and making $12K a year. And this year people just need so much more.

contributing factors - family

Nov. 19th, 2009 at 10:11 AM

Another reason for Tuesday's cry-fest at work was family/holiday stuff. Since Mom died, my sister and I have been floundering with what to do with our holidays. Yes, there are places we could go, but they are someone else's traditions. Not ours. We still need to figure ours out. And we need to do it soon because this is year three and it's depressing us more and more each year. And Dad didn't help this year. I sent an email confirming that he and his girlfriend were going to her mother's, to make sure they had plans. Dad replied that it was at his apartment and that he had been meaning to invite me and my sister. He knows we can't go to his place for more than 30 minutes. The smoking, the cats, the dogs... between my asthma and T's allergies, we have to be highly medicated for that place. We've had this discussion more than once in the five years since he's been living there.

So I responded with the above reasons, and said that they were more than welcome at my place but I knew it wouldn't happen because his girlfriend won't come to my house. I also said that I expected the same thing to happen at Christmas. The girlfriend has said that my house has a negative energy to it, which is just ridiculous with the highly sensitive people I've had over. I know she won't come over because last year I called her selfish for bringing home another cat when my dad had been working overtime just to make ends meet. Anyway, that was about three weeks ago and I haven't heard from him since.

supervisor meeting

Nov. 18th, 2009 at 11:23 AM

After the big general group meeting, I had a few things to go over with my supervisor. I talked about the fact that he did not support me or offer any guidance in the last project that was dumped on me (from another office), despite the fact that I let him know daily how frustrated I was. I also let him know that the reason I was so frustrated with that project was because it came right on the heels of two projects he had dumped on me with no direction or explanation. He had thought the two projects were learning opportunities, but hadn't realized the he did no teaching with them. What was especially frustrating was that we had discussed this previously; more than once he's dumped assignments on me simply to keep me busy without thinking things through. I'm tired of constantly "managing up."

Mood: apathetic
Music:Fuck You I'm Drunk

work meeting

Nov. 18th, 2009 at 9:55 AM

After three weeks of projects/managers making our lives as difficult as possible, A and I sat down and brainstormed things that we felt we needed to discuss at our group meeting. Yesterday we finally had the chance to do so. And it's a good thing, since she and I spent most of the weekend in tears and she's looking for a new job. I don't even want to think about her not being in the office with me.

I couldn't find my voice, so she opened the discussion with how we've lost our ability to communicate and details are falling through the cracks. There were a lot of issues that our new group manager needed to hear, things we had been sweeping under the rug, and I just couldn't take it any longer. There were a couple of people who tried to do the, "it's the other offices, our group is perfect," but A and I were surprised when someone turned around and said that no, we've all been lazy and sloppy, and it is starting to affect everything.

While we didn't talk about solutions, I think it was a good meeting. I did my usual amount of crying, but I was mostly able to keep it under control and make my point. Hell, I think it helped make my point. They didn't need to know that there are many other contributing factors to the tears. So my head still hurts from the crying and I'm exhausted and I really need to go swimming to work my shoulders out, but progress has been made.

Mood: exhausted
Music:Nowhere Man

sugar packets

Nov. 17th, 2009 at 3:18 PM

An entry from iamneurotic.com. No, it wasn't mine. But it could have been.

"Whenever I go to a restaurant that has sugar packets on the table I have to reorganize them perfectly; they all have to face the same way, and they’re organized in rainbow order."

Mood: drained
Music:Hang Down Your Head - Tom Waits

For Mom

Nov. 12th, 2009 at 7:21 PM

My mom was odd. Always wanted things that were different. The damn Aztec, brightly sequined bolero jackets, leopard print shoes, orange hand bags and nail polish, and anything else that no rational person would want. Mom was especially insane about Christmas. Six full sized trees in the house (and one in her classroom) that were decorated in different themes. She would have loved these. The half tree probably would have gone in the office since there wasn't room enough for a full sized tree. The neon pink one... well, it's a toss up whether she would have taken that to her 6th graders and had them write about it, or if she would have put it as a second tree in the living room so she could look at it every night. I miss her terribly.

Mood: nostalgic

I love my Emma

Nov. 12th, 2009 at 3:19 PM

"Wow! You have grey hair. It's a really pretty silver. Like tinsel on a Christmas tree."

Guess that makes up for her telling me I looked bloated when I was on the prednisone.

more work issues

Nov. 10th, 2009 at 11:13 AM

I've been trying to get this one document out the door but there have been all sorts of hold ups with section writers not turning their work in on time. Two of the biggest problems have been the noise and air quality sections. After many revised deadlines, I was supposed to have them last Thursday, with the document going to the client on Friday. I did not get them until end of day Friday, with the caveat that the group manager needed to review them still. I did not get the reviewed sections until late Monday night. There are many issues with the work quality. Conclusions are contradicting the discussions, new options are discussed that are not in the project description, and parts are just outright confusing. I decided to compare the sections given to me on Friday by the author versus what I got Monday from the reviewing group manger. Nothing changed. He didn't review it. So the client's deadline had to be pushed back and we still have work that is incomplete and can't be used. I'm leaving this in my supervisor's hands. I'm a peon here and have no business questioning a group manager.

a bit better

Nov. 9th, 2009 at 10:48 PM

Homemade turkey noodle soup from Ruby and a back massage from Bruce. Worked wonders towards getting my brain to a happy place. Now I just need to keep it there for a couple more days.

pillow good

Nov. 9th, 2009 at 6:59 AM

I've been awake for the past hour trying to convince myself to get out of bed. It's going to be a craptastic day at work and I'm trying to avoid it for as long as possible. I know. Putting of the inevitable. Guess this means I'm getting up. Don't think I care enough to push myself to get there in 30 minutes.

I think I got old this year

Nov. 8th, 2009 at 8:30 AM

Managed to hurt my back for the first time ever. It was over a week ago and I'm still getting twinges. And stress induced heartburn that makes me want to vomit. I don't like it one bit.

construction

Oct. 30th, 2009 at 9:11 AM

There's a miter saw making noise in my front lawn. And an air compressor in my dining room. That makes me happier than it probably should. They were in my living room last night and I had to call my sister I was so excited. She totally understood. Power tools are yumm.

Yup. Painting and repair work has started. They called up Wednesday, asked if they could get going and work began yesterday. A bit of a rush to get things all packed up and out of their way, and slightly inconvenient since I'm out of town this weekend and flying to Denver Monday, but oh well. It's probably best that I'm out of the house and away from paint fumes anyway.

Wednesday Addams

Oct. 29th, 2009 at 11:08 AM

That's what I decided on this year. I had originally be thinking of a ladybug, but I couldn't find deely boppers and the wings were crazy expensive. But black skirt, blouse, striped knee-highs, and braids is right up my alley. Plus, homicidal child? So very me. Actually, its difficult for me to remember that I shouldn't smile. I'm more gleefully violent.

I need to spend more time sewing the white cuffs and collar on the blouse before Saturday's shindig, but it's working well enough for today at work. I'm also hoping to have enough time to dye my hair darker. It picked up a bit too much red with all the sun in Texas for a proper Wednesday.

Mood: cheerful
Music:The Freaks Come Out at Night

space cowboy!

Oct. 27th, 2009 at 8:04 PM

Thank you Nathan Fillion for the wonderful Firefly reference. And Buffy too.
"Didn't you wear that like, 5 years ago?" "So?" "Don't you think you should move on?"
NO. Never moving on.

musical tastes at work

Oct. 27th, 2009 at 2:26 PM

There's my supervisor who watches American Idol and listens to Hannah Montana (no, he doens't have kids). Then there's my archaeologist friends. We swap cds of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Gogol Bordello, Black 47, and the Red Elvises. I'm so very glad to be part of the latter group.

Mood: amused
Music:Skullcrusher Mountain

more travel!

Oct. 25th, 2009 at 8:53 PM

You're right, I don't stay put very well, but I love exploring. At least this trip is going to be 80% pleasure and only 20% work. In two weeks J has to go to Denver for three days and since dumbass can't take care of Nikko, I get to go play. I figure we'll go to the aquarium and zoo and whatever else we can manage before he gets too cold. And naps! I'll be at a hotel so I can nap! I'm taking Monday as PTO since I'll be coming back from a wedding in Reno and flying out to Denver. The rest of the week I'll attempt to work in the morning and evening. If I don't manage it, they can bite me.

I was looking at my shot glasses of how many cities/states I've been able to visit because of J and her work. Atlanta, South Carolina, New Orleans, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Maine, Boston, Minneapolis, and now Denver. We've been through Denver before, but only because we were making a U-turn from Wyoming to come back through Utah. I need to suggest Pennsylvania next. It's one of the few states I haven't hit yet.

Hey! I might actually get to wear the hat T made for me. Normally it only comes out for snowshoeing. Also, I'm stupidly glad I get to be with Nikko for his first plane ride.

new camp tools

Oct. 21st, 2009 at 6:55 PM

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