crazy

I think I"m going crazy. I searched this entire apartment top to bottom tonight looking for double A batteries.

I knew I had the batteries. I distinctly remembered having them in my hand, and saying to myself, "Self, you should put these here--in this safe place--so that you will be able to find them easily next time you need them." And I did. Then I promptly forgot where that place was.

This wouldn't be such an issue, if I hadn't actually LOOKED in that place 4 times in the search for batteries. I even searched my sock drawer, I was that desperate. I couldn't imagine putting batteries in my sock drawer, but all the places I WOULD put batteries had come up empty. I gave up in the end.

Now, as I sit down to blog, I look to my right, and there, peeking out at me from underneath NOTHING, is a big honkin' pack of batteries. Ah well--at least now I can fix my clock and move on with my life in a more timely fashion. And for the record, the batteries now live in the top drawer of the desk.
I have been reading Mrs.Flinger too much. I have an overwhelming urge to type the phrase 'Y'all'. It's not a bad thing, except that you would all know it wasn't hte real me and that I was only doing it to look cool. I really don't think that there are any circumstances where Canadians can get away with 'y'all'. I wish there were--it's really fun to say.

So today, my boss was talking to me about helping his son with his math homework. The kid is in grade 9, and he's doing fractions. I don't know about you, but I don't recall fractions ever being this difficult. They had the kid doing quadratic equations with fractions as numerator and denominator--fair enough. But then some of the fractions were positive, and some of the fractions were negative. Some were being added, some subtracted, and some multiplied. Yikes!!! Tough stuff. He was asking me (my boss, not his son) if I knew how to subtract negative numbers. (I do, and was able to explain the process in terms he could explain for his son to understand).

When was the last time anyone in your adult life ever asked you, in the line of duty, to subtract negative fractions from other negative fractions? Hell, when was the last time you used fractions for anything other than measuring wood? Not that I think everything in the world has to have a practical application, or even that some things are not worth knowing...but sheesh! What practical purpose can this serve in real life? This is a serious question, because I just don't get it.

I like ice cream.

But not as much as I like cake. I am especially fond of hte white pound cake that is sold by the Atlantic Superstore (a division of Lowblaws--cousin to Zehr's). This cake is the bomb. We get it every month for the birthdays at the team meeting at work. It's kinda my thing--when people start to grumble about having to go to the meeting--I explain that there will be cake. And that if they are nice to me, I will even share the cake with them. I act like the cake is all mine, and all for me. It's stupid, but it's my thing, and 90% of the staff laugh and think it's entertaining. I don't mind being stupid if people are entertained. The 10% that are not even mildly amused, I think are big fat party-poopers and I don't like them anyway. (how's that for maturity?)

I believe I mentioned yesterday that my cousin is in town with her two little babies. We're meeting for breakfast tomorrow--and I'm very excited. I may look out some family photos of stuff she won't have seen to take with me. I'm so excited to meet her girls. I hope it's fun and not awkward.

Tomorrow will be a long day--breakfast, then work until close. Saturday, I work at 6:30 am and then after my regular job I picked up a gig serving at a catered function. It's cash money, so I'm quite happy about it. It'll make for a long day, though.
'So sunday, I'm looking forward to doing not much of anything. My only goal is to make it to the gym. I am considering getting some personal training sessions in order to give myself an incentive boost--but I really can't fit them into the budget. We shall see--I think that it may be what I need to get myself on track. If I can find someone to split them with me, it drops the price considerably. And I think you'd still get just as much from them if there was only one other person, around the same fitness level, sharing your time-slot.

I'm up in the air about it. It's a fiar bit of money. Has anyone else used a personal trainer? How did you feel about it? Did you find that it helped with the motivation and the accountability? Did it make you feel more confident about having a fitness 'routine'? All things i want to know--as these are the things I would hope to take away from training sessions. That, and I'd like to leave another 5 or 10 pounds behind!

Can-struction! - the real deal

So today I spent my day off doing work stuff. What's new about that, you ask? Well...today was FUN! :) Every year the food bank has a fundraiser here that's also an awareness builder. It's called Can-Struction. Groups raise money and gather cans. With your team of engineers and/or architects, you build something out of canned goods. At the end, the stuff is on display at the mall for several days and then the food is all donated to the food bank.

We built a gingerbread house. Out of baked beans. We made lima bean fir trees. The walkway was Campbell's soup. The roof of our house was marshmallows and Twizzlers. Our chimney was made of coffee cans and Stagg chili. We put a halloween fountain mister in the chimney, so our chimney actually smoked. It was fun and very cool.

Granted, the other entries kicked our ASS. There was a freestanding suspension bridge (this entry will win for sure, assuming it doesn't fall down!). One group built a toilet out of cans...a can out of cans. Their t-shirts said they were 'flushing out hunger'. Another group that had shirts telling us "Move your can(s)" built half a high-rise and a CRANE. There was a functioning lighthouse, a football stadium (complete with blimp), and a bulldozer. It was supercool. There are prizes and stuff, but we won't win one. :) Our entry was super-lame compared to the others. But if you ever get the chance to participate, it's worth having to raise several hundred dollars for a good cause. What a blast. :)

I read this earlier tonight in the archives of the funniest girl on the internet. I laughed out loud, so much so that I don't even want to link to it, I'm cutting and pasting it right here. Now laugh, I said! (obscure C+C Music Factory reference--diggit?)

This weekend I attended a wedding in Madison, Wisconsin. Now there's a town that's just crawling with nonstop action. Oh wait! That's not action Madison is crawling with! It's actually crawling with FLEAS from all the FILTHY GODDAMMED HIPPIES all over the place. Man, I hate hippies.

You know, I didn't want to put Mimi over on the list of my favourite places for a long time. I wanted to hog her for myself. Weird, isn't it? Moreso, in fact, when you consider that she's got one of the most well-publicized blogs on the internet. She's even got a book that they made out of her blog, in fact. How strange is that? But she's funny as hell, and she's my absolute favourite read every day (except for YOUR blog, of course. That goes without saying...you know that). I am disheartened when she doesn't update.* How sad is my life? Anyway, read, enjoy, dislike, whatever you choose. But she's public domain now. I feel so exposed!!!

Something incredibly strange just happened, and in the middle of my entry, Blogger managed to post my entry---about 9 times. But this post--this one...it's the real deal.

So...lots happened while you were gone. Well, you weren't gone, really...but I was gone...waiting for my post to arrive/come back/be found/pageload. Anyway. You see what I meant.

I realized, as I went to turn down my bed, that I had washed my sheets earlier, and that my bed was not only not made, but was naked. So I had to make the bed. I'm an imbecile. If I"d done it when the sheets came out of the dryer, instead of re-folding them and sticking them in the linen closet, I wouldn't have had to do it now. Note to self: Stop freaking procrastinating!

Also...** (thought I wouldn't remember to go back and footnote, didn't you?) Don't think that I only get disheartened when Mimi doesn't post...I get very sad when any of my daily reads find better things to do. I may not post every day, but that's no reason for YOU not to entertain me. Paige, for instance, went ALL WEEKEND without updating. And so far, she hasn't done it yet today either. (people keep getting lives! I'm so envious!) So, be aware that I"m watching you. I depend on you for social interaction. The worst of it is, that you don't really know who you are. I mean, I"m putting all this pseudo pressure on you, and really...it may not even BE you I"m talking about. (It is.)

My cousin is in town this week with her two little girls. Her brother-in-law just moved out here with his family and they're out to visit. I'm excited to hear from her, and i really want to hook up and see her. I haven't seen her since the summer she got married, and I've never met her little girls. It'd be lovely.

It's funny, we were always really close with our cousins when we were little. IT's something my parents made a concerted effort to do. We visited all of our cousins at least twice a year--doesn't sound like much, but I have 22 first cousins on one side of the family, and the closest of those lived 4.5 hours away from us.

We always knew our family, and knew that our family was important. I'm sad to have lost touch with a lot of my cousins. And it's all me, because my family still all gets together every Christmas and every summer for the new generation of second-coiusins to hook up and play.

Moving across the country pretty much sucks when it comes to family stuff. I miss my sisters, and my mom and dad, and my friends. And now, the older I get, even the friends get harder to see. Thank goodness Christine's family still lives near my family--I may actually get to see her over Christmas this year! That'd be a nice treat. :)

Very tired, and must get up in a mere 5 hours. I have NOT been sleeping well, so I think I should take my chances while I can. I also still have to delete the extra 8 posts -- gifts from blogger to you. Have a happy week. :) (don't know why it feels like Monday today!!!)

Cheesy

Today I feel very disjointed, so forgive me if my post is too.

I really don't even feel like posting, but those are the dyas that I fidn I really need to do it the most.

Today I slept until 11:30. Then, I ate breakfast (I was ravenous!) for once. After breakfast and a lovely cup of coffee, I read some blogs, and went back to bed for another two hours! I got up at 2:30 pm!!! Yeah, this being sick business has knocked me right on my ass.

So I read some more blogs, and decided that I need to get myself in gear. I decided to go to the mall for the craft boutique thingy and to visit Pete's Frootique. Pete's really is a little piece of heaven for me.

I showered, which was a challenge in and of itself for some reason. I then decided that i should get dressed up. I have a lot of nice clothes, and I really kind of miss having to get dressed up and go to the office every day. I looked really sharp (I got to wear one of my favourite outfits!) and went browsing. I bought myself some funky new earrings made locally, and a whole lot of fruit.

When I got home and was putting away my treats, I realized that I happen to have a rather large quantity of cheese on hand. I usually have a block of medium cheddar on the go. But I really haven't been eating that much cheese lately, so I'm not sure why I've been on a spree at the stores. I currently have cheese slices (these last forever and I buy them once every 6 months or so) for sandwiches. I then have havarti with jalapenos (I like this on crackers and on sandwiches). I purchased a chunk of hard parmesan the other day at the grocery, because while i dislike that grated crap they tell you is for pasta, I LOVE shaved parmesan on top of salads. I had it at a fancy restaurant once,a nd I've never been the same since. Then, today, I purchased a chunk of gruyere. I love gruyere. Shaved on soup, grated in salad, mashed into potaoes, or just in a piece...so delicious.

Wow. Lots of cheese, lots of words about cheese.

I spent an hour or so chatting with Brynn at the store on Friday. It was nice to talk to her. It reminded me how much I love my new job, and how much I hated the old one. It did remind me, however, of the things I LIKED about the old job. I enjoyed the travel, I enjoyed the meeting with people at the stores, and I really enjoyed getting dressed up for work. I also enjoyed my window cube. Nice to be so important as to warrant a window. Now, I don't even have a desk. :) I have a drawer in a filing cabinet in a storage closet*grin* But there's no price for happiness. :)

I've led a rather dull weekend. I worked close shifts both Friday and Saturday, which mean long days and longish nights.

It poured buckets of rain all day yesterday, so when I wanted to leave the store, my car didn't want to go anywhere. It did that jerky, slow, sputtering idle thing where if I put it in gear it jumps to a halt and the engine peters out. It means the engine is wet and needs to idle for a long while in order to get up enough oomph to go anywhere....but it stinks because generally when I'm wet and unhappy, I just want to go the hell home NOW...not in 15 minutes. Ah well, at least I HAVE a car, I could be a perma-public transit person and have had to stand at the bus-stop in the driving rain for that 15 minutes instead of sitting in my nice dry car.

I have nothing to say. I am going to bed. I hope to gain enough energy to make a visit to the gym this week. I'd really like to get in a bit better shape by Christmas. That's two months away--I figure that i should be able to get more muscle tone by then, and hopefully drop another 5 pounds in the process. But it will require determination. I don't know if I have any! We shall see.

Computer death--and taxes

My computer had a seizure last night. I had more to say, but it decided I was through after my Ode to Mary-Lou (welcome back, CBC!)

I couldn't post, as when I hit send, it started thinking--then got stuck. My computer thought about posting all night, and when I checked on it this morning before work, it was still thinking. It was even making those little grinding thinking noises. Tonight, I decided that enough was enough, and hit the power button. After checking all of its various bits and pieces, the computer has decided that, for now at least, it is again healthy and happy and ready to work. I am very happy. I cannot imagine living without it, and I can't begin to consider a replacement. Kinda like a bad relationship, that way *Grin*

So...anyone have any good ideas as to what creative uses one can find for snot? Seriously--I've got a nose full of snot and nothing to do with it. It seems kinda wasteful to just keep depositing it in all these tissues and then tossing them summarily into the trash. Alternately, anybody want a cold? Day 6 and counting. Bleh.

So last night my mom called. We chatted, she sounded sad but didn't mention my dad. Then right after I hung up, my dad called. He sounded perky.

Mum seems to be concerned about making ends meet; and although she's always been concerned about that, her stress seemed more intense last night. I'm not sure if I was projecting or if I really felt it. I had been working on my finances when she called.

My dad, on the other hand, has realized that his apartment is his new home and he should learn to settle in. The 'fun' of having a playhouse has worn off, and the work of day-to-day upkeep is beginning to settle in. He actually said to me that he had thought before that he would eventually be moving 'back to the farm' but that it seems to be evident that repatriation will not ever happen. (get it? Repatriation? Aren't I clever? Dammit--give me some type-A feedback!)

It was interesting. Dad's taking ballroom lessons, but he doesn't want me to tell anyone because he's afraid they'll be upset if they know he's having fun. Okay, so he didn't say that was WHY--but he did ask that I not share the joy. I am extrapolating that his reason is to garner as much sympathy as possible from the rest of my family.

Another interesting thing my dad told me--he had Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's. I had anticipated that happening, but as both my sister and my mother told me about dinner and the conversations that took place--and NEITHER one mentioned his presence--I assumed my mom had gotten a spine, or my dad had forgotten it was a holiday. To each their own...no matter how odd it is. Unless, of course, dad's really lost it altogether, and he imagined the whole event. Hell, we've had the same meal give or take a vegetable for the last 35 years, I could tell you what happened at dinner--and I was 4 provinces away!

I was working on the budget yesterday. Things are starting to not look quite as bleak. I think I mentioned that I payed off one major millstone on Friday. Now it's just unknitting this hair-shirt one stitch at a time, and we're homefree! And 7 years from now, my credit-rating may once again be blemish-free. This is where a lack of organization adn attention to detail will get you, boys and girls. Stressville. Povertytown. Not to mention the Borough of Embarrassed-to-Admit-Your-Own-Weaknesses-and-Fallibility. But take heart! Perseverence wins out over all!

Tonight I was working on back-taxes. The government owes me cash, I just need to point it out to them. I got my GST credit from 1999 in the mail the other day. I'm looking forward to 2000 and hopefully, I'll be able to submit another 2 years worth this week--and I'll get more cash in a few weeks! :) Wheee for me.

Why is it that people feel more comfortable talking abut sex than they do cash-flow? I know *I* certainly do. I'd rather discuss activities, proclivities, absurdities, and perversities than my RRSP and my credit card balances!

It's odd. And because people don't talk about it--particularly growing up (most families I know, anyway)--kids grow up with no money-management skills.

What's incredibly funny is that I'm a whiz with corporate cash. I can handle dollars in the millions without a blink. I can increase revenues, decrease expenses, account for every last cent. But if you ask me what I did with the $20 bill in my wallet this morning? Forget about it.

My throat is sooo sore. I tried hot lemon and honey earlier. I found the green tea more effective though, so I've skipped over to that. My tastebuds are shot, so nothing sounds appetizing to me. I bought a pre-cooked chicken on sale at the grocery tonight, so that I wouldn't have to think about making anything.

Did anybody else see the crock-pot in the Wal-Mart flyer for $7.97? I'm going to go and try to buy one tomorrow. I've been wanting one, and hell, eight bucks? Why wait for Christmas! I think it's gotta be a typo though. They couldn't get the kids to make one that cheap--what with the cost of starvation rations these days?! We shall see.

Guess that's enough raving for one night. Happy tomorrow, folks. And happy last day of the week for all you office-types. :P (<--Envy--it isn't pretty.)

tedium

That's what I find my trip log to be. I will henceforth cease and desist from all expounding the tales of my past weekend. Suffice it to say that i had a great time, the best visit I think I've ever had with Heather. I met her new beau--and while he's not my cup of tea, he seems to like her and that's what really matters.

So. I found some nifty new tricks for Blogger. Did you know that you can EMAIL your posts to your blog? From any address? It's true. You have to go in and edit your settings, but it's a nifty way to post from afar. I haven't yet tried it, but I"m excited about it and one day soon, I'll be posting from work. Perhaps even tomorrow! (shh--don't tell the boss!)

The other nifty gizmo that Blogger offers, is also part of the setup. Blogger will email you every time someone posts a comment to your blog! It's nifty. I've been playing with it.

If only they would fix the spell-check command things would be fantastic. Then you might stop seeing quite so many typos in my posts. Or maybe not.

This computer is soooo slow that it is excruciating to try and edit my posts. I also type incredibly fast and tend to trip over my own fingers from time to time. This is why you will often find the letters of 'the' and 'to' and 'is' typed in reverse order. It's not that I'm dyslexic, it's that my FINGERS are.

I was checking out my blog-stat thing today too...I've been TechnoGrrrl lately. It's fun to see where all the people come from that manage to find me here! I didn't know there WAS a Douglastown, GA--let alone that someone from there would find me! *(Aside: I used to work in Douglastown, NB. It was really Miramichi--because the towns of Douglastown, Chatham, and Newcastle amalgamated--but it's a nifty coincidence anyway! [or perhaps it's no conincidence at all?])

So yeah....~~wave~~ to all of you that have found me from way over ---->there. Welcome. I sure hope something interesting happens soon, otherwise you'll find this as exciting as that website where you get to watch the coke machine at some hallway somewhere.

Tonight was a wonderful night. A night to be remarked upon, and evening of sheer joy and pleasantness. Mary-Lou and Barbara were back! They spoke to me! The gravelly tones of their CBC voices told me that while they were locked-out of their studio (cursed manager-types!), they had missed me as much as I had missed them. Welcome back, Mary-Lou. And you too, Barbara. Now don't freaking take any more stupid vacation before Christmas!! You were both gone all stupid summer prior to the strike, and now you'll want vacation because the picketing was murder on your feet. Sheesh! Suck it up! I missed you, goddarnit!

Friday's trip continued...

Here is the final instalment of Friday's travelogue. Forgive the egocentric navel-gazing. It's what one does when one exists entirely inside one's head. Although, I supposed that if it were embarassing enough, I simply wouldn't post it. But that wouldn't be fun, now would it?

3:45 Friday

So my seatmate smells funny. And does not cut his fingernails. His nails are filthy. His fingers are stained yellow from smoking. His odour is faintly of stale egg salad. Not full blown "Eeew--Egg!" but rather " What is that? Is it egg? It is. It's egg. Eeew."

We're stopped at Oxford for a 10 minute break so that people can smoke and spend all their cash at this tiny, disgusting little store. I wonder what kind of kickback the bus line gets for driving at least 15 minutes off the main road to pick up passengers at THIS location. I can't imagine that the store would survive without all the pop and chips sales. Although, in addition to being a store of (dubious) convenience, it is also a florist. Perhaps the floral arrangement business in Oxford is booming and it actually supports the owners' convenience store dream. It might! You never know.

I've become hypersensitive to the fact that I am an elitist snob. I can't help it. I know it's wrong. I don't have hte cash to support my attitude--but there it is nonetheless. I'm a snob.

I have a very low threshold of tolerance for those who are unclean. I don't understand how someone over 12 cannot grasp the importance of having clean hands. Filth spreads disease. And it's just plain gross.

I feel for the poor. I'm empathetic. Hell, if I don't get things straightened out soon, I could be a lot more visibly one of them. But there's something to be said for Luke's blatant disregard for other people. He never wastes time or emotion on people who won't help themselves. Not quite true--he feels and exhibits disdain.

I'll feel bad until they're out of my line of vision. When my immediate discomfort stops, I forget how bad I felt to have things. I forget to be sorry that I have a job and social skills and they don't. He just never considers it in the first place. Arguably more honest an approach than mine. Certainly less hypocritical.

***

I'm eating my favouirite lollipop. (Note the seamless transition? True to form I've considered the poor and downtrodden, then quickly moved on to something more pleasant). It's a caramel apple pop. A green-apple flavoured pop covered in toffee. Delicious!

We're now in Springhill--hometown of Anne Murray. I've always thought of stopping here, but never before have. I'm beginning to see the wisdom of my actions.

Something I really enjoyed about Luke was his fondness for driving around aimlessly. I enjoyed that a lot. I especially appreciated that he was almost always willing to take whatever little sideroad or pitstop or detour I suggested. "Let's get ice cream," I would cry! "Turn right," I'd holler! And when I skipped on the street, or swung in circles around a light post, he was mildly embarrassed, but always amused. I hope that I find that again soon--it was fun.

It's funny--I'd forgotten how to write. Now I get the faint inclination that I may have been pretty good at it once.

Chrissy told me yesterday that she really enjoys reading my Blog. And that makes me very happy. Pumps the ego a little bit. :) I have my favourites that I read either for content or style. Since I have no content, it pleases me to think that someone enjoys my style--even if it's just Chrissy (who has to say nice things--OR ELSE!!).

I enjoy writing once I'm started. I always havea difficult time getting started. I have been telling myself for years now to just begin--but I never get off the ground. The first New Year's after University, I was home. Chris H. and I went to a party at Susan S's house. I bumped into Tom White.

I'd always admired Tom. He was an attractive boy--but smart. He was very nice, which is why I noticed him. He hung with the cool crowd: pledged a frat, played varsity sports...You know the type. Anyway. He had always been nice to me. We got paired up in English a lot because we were both smart and Miss Hanes was smarter.

So at this party, we chatted a bit. Then he asked me "How come you haven't written?" I was taken aback. It hadn't occurred to me that we'd been close enough to warrant correspondance--but he was drunk, and hey--you never know! So I said "Umm...I didn't have your address?" He said, "No-no...A book. Why haven't you written abook yet? You're really good!" So I was embarrassed and changed the sumbject. But I've always had it in the back of my mind ever since. Why haven't I? [perhaps that run-on sentence with horrific grammar and terrible conversation will give you a gigantic hint!]

Same reason I haven't submitted my taxes, most likely.

Remind me to never take the bus again. This is tedious. Although I am writing, and I've solved the staffing problems in Flooring (I need 3 more full-time staff!), so I guess it's not all a waste.

We're only in Amherst and it's 4:30. God only knows what time we'll end up in Fredericton. Sheesh.

G'nite again--naptime.

Travelogue

So...I went away this weekend. I had a wonderful time. I began to document my trip in a sort of travelogue. The unfortunate part is that once I got there, I was too busy having fun to write it down. And on the way back, I was so tired I slept most of the way. I will update those portions tomorrow on my final day of vacation. Here, for your reading enjoyment, I will post Friday's travel-rambling.

1:15 pm. Friday, October 7, 2005

I am on the bus and the bus is moving.

I am the Queen of Organization. Knowing how bad the traffic was this morning at 7 am, I should have anticipated that DOWNTOWN would be BUSIER once everyone went to work. I should have also considered that this town houses 4 universities and that every last student in the city would be trying to travel home for the long weekend. I should also have anticipated (although God only knows why) that the VIA parking area that does take overnight vehicles only takes loonies and that there would be no change machine at the station.

I should have.

I allowed an extra 20 minutes for transit and finding the parking lot. Should have been ample. WERE THIS AN ORDINARRY DAY.

Half the downtown roads in Halifax are torn to pieces--I encountered not one, but TWO detours. I ran into traffic like the 401 at 5:30pm--7 lanes of parking lot.

I found the parking area without much trouble, as the girl at the Westin had given me good directions. My stress was high though, as the bus was scheduled to leave at 12:45 and it was already 12:35. I wheeled up to the parking barrier and pushed the button for a ticket.

Nothing happened. I pushed it again. Nothing. I swore. I pressed the button several dozen times, letting fly a steady stream of epithets. Still nada. At this point I noticed the indicator on the machine that clearly stated its requirment of loonies only--5 per day.

I then did the only thing I could--I threw the car in reverse, pulled a U-ie in the middle of the street and peeled out to the front of the station.

At 12:40 I wheeled into a metered spot. I had devised a plan--I'd find out where the first stop was, and race the bus!! 'Surely, I can drive faster than a bus,' I told myself. Risk of RCMP ticketing be damned! At best, I'd only have to drive to Enfield--at worst, Truro.

I raced up to the two overflowing buses. (that world SHOULD have 2 sssses--no matter WHAT Merriam-Webster says!) I ran back and forth like a ping-pong ball until I figured out which man-in-a-blue-tie was the driver. I asked where the next stop was--I got the incredibly helpful answer that if the bus was full, it'd go straight through to Fredericton with no stops. The bus then became full, but there werre still tons of people waiting. The overflow was routed onto the second (already full) bus.

Someone on the sidewalk said that the bus company would put on more buses until everyone was on one. I then decided to risk the 12 mile lineup at the ticket counter. I figured that if it was really sold out--they'd not sell me a ticket. If it wasn't sold out, they'd not let the bus leave without me.

The minutes ticked by. The line crawled. The girl behind me was very nice. She had a lip ring and canvas Mary-Janes. The ticket man garbled over the PA system-- "mwah-mwa-mwa-mwaaah..." (a la Charlie Brown).

I got a ticket. The woman at the counter was very nice, but she had no change for the evil parking lot. I stood in the VIA line. The men in the line were at the window and had been the only customers for the last 20 minutes (I know, I had been watching them!)--how much longer could they possibly take? TOO LONG!!

After doing the antsy-dance and knowing I still had to park and get on the bus--I gave up and bolted for the car. I pulled through the Superstore parking lot; I drove around the block 3 times--panick stricken. What if I missed the bus after all that trouble?! I decided to risk the Superstore. Despite the "Don't park here unless you're shopping here. EVER. And we mean shopping *RIGHT NOW* Or else we'll tow your ass. And we mean it!" signs posted all around the parking lot, I decided to chance it. If they don't tow me tomorrow, I'll be okay. Sunday and Monday are holidays and the store will be closed. Here's hoping. Because I love my car. And my golf clubs are in the trunk--and I REALLY love my golf clubs.

I ran to the bus--I was the last person to get on. I'm sitting right behind the driver. I was sitting next to his bag of stuff. It wasn't so bad.

Then we went to Darkness. We had to fill the remaining few scattered seats. Every last seat on the bus is taken. Even the one next to me that previously contained the driver's bag of stuff. Now it contains a boy--one like I always avoid on public transit. Dirty, dishevelled, but fairly nice. He was polite, said "Excuse me" and even offered me to share his Crispers. In Truro we lose a few passengers. With any luck, he may be one of them.

At least now I'm on my way.

Bleh.

So. I was going to catch the bus to Fredericton at 7:30am. I was at the bus station in plenty of time.

The bus station is in the same building as the train station. Now, I don't know about you folks--but every other bus station and train station I've EVER been to has a parking lot in which travellers may leave their cars. Well, not in Halifax, people. Freaking backwater hick village.

Anyway. There isn't anyplace even remotely close where one can pay to leave one's vehicle for a few days. The Superstore next door vehemently posts that they will tow anyone who is not actively shopping *right this moment*. I even called the store manager to see if arrangements could be made. They cannot. I understand this, it just pisses me off.

What if I were taking the train someplace farther away than the 7 hour trip to Fredericton? (okay, so it's really only 5.5, but so what?! I'm making a point here!)

So I came home, presumably to get a couple more hours of sleep before going back for the 12:45 bus out of Nowhereville. I cleaned my kitchen. I scrubbed my bathroom. I changed my sheets and folded the abandoned laundry. Then I tried to change the settings on my Blog. That was an exercise in futility...but whatever. At least I tried. The side bar is still filled with navel-gazing twaddle, but you're just going to have to suck it up for another 5 months.

And WOW. I'm always amazed by how quickly time passes when you're not looking. I can't comprehend that I've had this blog for 5 months now. It amazes me that I've been in Halifax for over 8 months. That's far longer than I was in Rothesay, but it only feels like yesterday.

I must state for the record that I love my job. I'm back to the point where I really enjoy going to work. I like the people that I work with. I find the challenges taxing, but not gruelling. I look forward to each day. It's been a long time since I felt this way. Almost two years, to be exact. I'm glad to have me back.

For a long time (the entire period that I was in Saint John) I didn't like my job. I was unhappy with my life (not my relationship, but the rest of it). I was miserable because I had previously been happy. I had always been a person who woke up happy to be alive. Every day was fresh and new "with no mistakes in it"*. Then I took a job that I hated, in a city that I loathed, and everything fell to pieces.

So it's been a long itme coming, this contentment. And that's not to say that things are ideal, they're far from it. I need to find $3000 soon. I need to fix the car before winter. I need to clean up this dump of an apartment. I need to figure out what I'm going to do with my life. I need a haircut. I need a lot of things. But the list of things that I don't need is longer than the list of things that I do.

I'm happy here. I'm happy with what I'm doing. I'd be happier if I had a new title and was driving a free pickup truck with free gas, but hey...you can't have everything. (I'd also be happy if I had a million dollars, a dog, a husband that loved me and treated me the way I deserve to be treated, and a house--since we're on the wishing-boat.)

Today, I will wear my Superman t-shirt. It always makes me laugh. Mainly because everyone ALWAYS has something to say about it. I figure that a shirt that sparks conversation must be worth its weight in bubblegum.

Hmm...I started out ranting (which was reasonable given the circumstances and my intense lack of sleep) and ended up being happy and content. Guess it's not such a crappy day after all. But beware! Things could change at any moment!

I've become quite the t-shirt girl. I was noticing this last night when I was trying to pack for my trip. I packed 4 t-shirts. This is a bit odd for me, as i didn't realize I had 4 t-shirts that weren't vile freebies from work. It just so happens that I actually own LOTS of t-shirts that are not vile freebies from work. Who'da thunk it?

If only I were a jeans girl--I have only one pair of jeans for wearing outside the house. I have no immediate legal means of obtaining more, so these jeans will be experiencing a lot of social activity this weekend. I hope that the rest of me experiences a lot of social activity this weekend. Knowing Heather as I do, I don't anticipate it. Although, she's managed to meet a boy and we're planning to go hiking on Sunday, so perhaps things will fall into place after all.

I'm looking forward to drinking copious amounts tomorrow evening. I'm not sure how that fits into Heather's plans, but it figures prominently in mine.

She's so little (petite-whatever) that it doesn't take a whole lot of alcohol to knock her on her ass. This can be a problem when we partake together. One tastes like more to me, and it tastes like a nap to her. If I encourage her to beverage and she doesn't do it quickly enough, she falls asleep. If I don't encourage her, she just doesn't and then she's a VERY shy stick-in-the-mud. I'm not into pressuring people, so I hope she's in a mood to let loose. We shall see.

The best part of this weekend, is that I will get to go to Fred's Pancake House. It is possibly the best breakfast restaurant I've been to ever. (Next to Cora's but that's an entirely different kind of place.) Fred's has the Trucker's Breakfast--with more food than you can shake a stick at, and 4 kinds of meat...for $6.50.

Luke and I used to go there all the time, and the old-lady waitresses used to fuss over how skinny he was(is). I used to eat my fill of pancakes, toast and hashbrowns, with a side of crispy bacon, coffee, and milk, for $4.25. I'm so excited about Fred's. If you're in Fredericton, it's worth the wait for a table.But they only take cash--so go prepared.

I must go, repack my bag with less crap, and head downtown to find a parking place for the Festiva.

That's it for now. I'll be back next week with another fun and exciting entry. *snicker* Well, it'll be exciting if my bus trip is anything like they usually are. Crazy people and the handicapped love me. They seek me out. Particularly when I'm on public transit. Which is why I rarely take it. Yes, I'm phobic about the creeps I meet on the bus. That, and the fact that the bus usually smells bad (as do the people on it).

Happy Thanksgiving.

of bachelors and parties and boredom too!

It is autumn and I feel like typing in brown.

I've been a busy girl while I was afk. I've been working like a demon, a woman possessed, a rented mule. I've also been going out festing, and staying in cocooning.

I've been celebrating, and feeling sorry for myself. I've been feeling both rich, and incredibly impoverished at once. How's them apples?

For details, I submit the following.

Last weekend: A guy from work had a bachelor party. I'm not particularly fond of him, nor his bride to be, but everyone at the lumber-end of the store was involved. I went out with the girls (the usual group minus Lynn as she blew us off for her loser boyfriend). I did not expect to have a good time, as I really dislike one of the girls. She's too damned 21.

Anyway, a great time was had, martinis were drunk. I had cocktails. We danced. I was flirted with and comlimented by other people's spouses. Myself and the 21 year were the only ones that were not married or seriously attached. The 21 year old does not let that stop her. Which is one of the many reasons I am not fond of her. I will accept the compliments, flirt enough to boost their egos, and then I ensure that the lines are firmly drawn and that everyone is aware that's the end of the fun. Makes for a fun enough time--except that being surrounded by married people generally scares away the possibility of meeting single people.

I find that the people I know who are married get way more out of control when they drink than my single friends do. And even if they're not 'out of control' because they're drinking, it's because they feel they have a built in safety net. They push the boundaries and the lines of what is right (and moral!) for somone in a relationship to do because they a) are excited just to have the opportunity, or b) figure that they won't have to follow through with their overtures and suggestions because they have to go home...so when they're shot down they can blame it on 'being married' instead of having to consider that they're really not that attractive after all. Just a thought.

Anyway, except that everyone but me was married, I still had a great time.

Why do married women feel it necessary to make excuses to their spouses for their late hours out, or their potentially lewd behaviour? For the record, none of the married women I know behave nearly as badly as the married men--and yet they seem to feel so much more guilt about any questionable activities.

*NB--This is not to say that the women were well-behaved simply because they were *better* behaved than their male counterparts. 'Good' is not a word I would use to describe what I witnessed this past weekened. Perhaps I'm just too uptight for words. But dammit, I like me that way. I don't act as ____ (insert word of choice here!) as these women and I'm single. I can't imagine doing it when I'm in a relationship...but hey. I guess I'm an odd duck.

I'm sorry to have left you all with the same post to look at for the last couple of weeks. It has been pointed out to me (thanks Christine!) that it wasn't really all that xciting a read after the 473rd time through it. I will endeavour to do better in the future. No promises though.

Stupid computer's on a work-to-rule campaign--just like half my staff at work. I'm finished posting for tonight, as I can't argue with it any longer. I'll be back on Monday--after Turkey with Heather in F'ton. Have a great weekend, folks. If the computer ever catches up with me, I'm off to bed.