How do you feel today? v. 3.0

[Vader]

Does this mean there will be less of a dearth, Vader?

It might all have been a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away - but still a frackin long time paying off for two death stars that never really worked at all.

[lorin]

A MOMENTUS DAY '

I PAID OFF MY CAR LOAN TODAY!

I ACTUALLY OWN SOMETHING THEY CAN'T RE-POSSESS!

[Ananda]

The Vader got promoted today. Went from being head of the English department to head of all foreign languages.

I am now in command of the English, French, Russian, Latin and Spanish (currently not offered at our school) staff. Together with a little mortgage we finally paid off last month there'll be a considerably larger sum left in our pockets each month - in other words there won't be so much month left at the end of the money.

Congratulations!

[aliantha]

A MOMENTUS DAY '

I PAID OFF MY CAR LOAN TODAY!

I ACTUALLY OWN SOMETHING THEY CAN'T RE-POSSESS!

I needed that. Feeling kind of cranky right now. Today was Staff Appreciation Day (which is what our firm calls Administrative Professionals Day). I know it's a bogus holiday, okay? But it used to be that the firm would throw us a party where the partners served *us*. And there were door prizes. And we'd get a gift from the firm. And I'd get a little something from my attorneys, too.

All that largesse has been tapering off over the past few years. This year, the firm fed us lunch. That was it -- no party, no prizes, no gifts from the firm. And this year, for the first time *ever*, my attorneys didn't give me anything. (I know why -- the one who organizes all of my gifts is on vacation this week. And she'll feel horrible when she gets back and realizes nobody stepped up. But still.)

And then I was so freakin' bored this afternoon that I finished knitting one fingerless glove and cast on for the second one. And wrote a blog post.

But I was okay with it all -- until I got on the train and overheard a couple of secretaries at some other firm talking about the nice fuss *their* firm made over them today. I almost asked them where they worked, and whether they had any openings....

Anyway, I'm just being a crankypants. Don't mind me.

Also, I ordered a pendant lamp for the dining room because I'm sick and tired of the 40-watt bulb in the ceiling fan constantly burning out, and it arrived today. But I can't put it up because Magickmaker borrowed my drill so she could hang pictures and stuff at her new place.

[Cameraman Jenn]

I had a nice interaction with my district manager today. While he was visiting he mentioned over the walkie that today I am sitting at the #2 spot for the district and congratulated me publicly. Later he came over to tell me that he was really impressed with how much the center has improved since i took over and I smiled and said, "I appreciate you thanking me for being number two today but yesterday I was number one for week to date and I AM number one for the district YEAR to DATE with an increase of 36.4% over last year's sales! I think you owe me this." and held up my hand for a high five. He smiled and said, "Yes, Impressive job." We high fived and then I told him that I owe a lot of it to my people though and told him about how Caitlin hits them out of the park with up selling and wowing the customers with her attention to detail and how Noe my noobie has been learning at an amazing rate and he's really good with a lot of the programs and that customers love him too. I even showed him some cards Caitlin had designed and told him about the massive letterhead, envelope, mailing label, business card order that Noe and Caitlin were both helping one another with. I spoke with true pride and sincerity and he seemed to be very pleased that I took the time to praise my co-workers in detail and not take full credit. I must admit I like having a sort of upper hand with the upper management.

[aliantha]

Jenn --

My day just got a ton better. My book got a 4-star review at Goodreads from somebody I don't know. (I know which direction I'm heading in, career-wise. It's just gonna be baby steps to get there...)

[Avatar]

Since Vader missed your question Deer, yes, IIRC, he's in Germany.

Hooray...Thursday. Just have to get through the day and it's 5 days off, then a 3-day week. I need it.

And our massage therapist is coming in because we missed our last session due to a different public holiday.

So, massage followed by long long weekend. Nice.

--A

[sgt.null]

looking forward to th eauction saturday. til then reading lots. went to the library and picked up some 20 more graphic novels and a handful of actual books with prose.

showering (mostly) like a human being again. by standing in the tub. but need the bathmat sticky things that go inside the tub.

walking with a cane sucks, trying to recapture how to walk. tripping over the damn cane on occassion.

when i go back to a shoe there is some sort of padding that mimics your ankle turning.

and since i now have two stainless steel screws more or less permanently anchored in the bone - i need a note for work. because there will be one jackass who will wonder why the x-ray machine keeps going off.

[deer of the dawn]

I have a student teacher which gives me time to do paperwork while she is teaching... and I still can't seem to get it all done... She is very good with the kids but they must somehow have decided that with a different face in the classroom means the rules have changed. Half my class went out to the basketball court--outside their boundaries-- during recess. I asked them if anyone could tell me why they decided it was allright, and to a man (if you can say that for 6-year olds) it was "So-and-so was already there". I asked if anyone could give me a reason that had nothing to do with anyone else, and none of them could. I reminded them they are responsible for themselves, an idea we have talked about all year long; that no matter what someone else does, they should do the right thing.

Tomorrow I told them they will get a small, limited space to play in; the next day a little more, the next day maybe back to their full, normal turf.

See, it's okay for me to be so mean because most of the time I tell them stories and play the ukulele and sing funny songs. I have 4th graders who were my students who come and beg to come back to Kindergarten.

[lorin]

My day just got a ton better. My book got a 4-star review at Goodreads from somebody I don't know. (I know which direction I'm heading in, career-wise. It's just gonna be baby steps to get there...)

Congrats,Ali! you deserve every single accolade!

[Iolanthe]

Congrats, Ali. You didn't answer my question on FB about getting a paper back directly from you.

Have a good holiday Av. Being a volunteer, I don't get official holidays, but I say to myself now and again that I must have a week off to catch up! I came home early today as I did a good deal of transcribing this morning and need to get it all typed up this afternoon. Still have to deal with half of the work I did yesterday, and the work that one of my checkers did. Thankfully none of my other transcribers or checkers have been in this week!

Sarge, glad to hear that you are getting mobile again.

Jenn, you must have the patience of a saint to deal with the awful people you tell us about. I'm not quite sure what you do, but you sure do it well.

Deer, I wish I had been in your kindergarten class, but that would make you awfully old! I remember being read Brer Rabbit stories by a Mrs Luff who sat me on her knee when I was 4-5, having to have a sleep on our desks in the afternoon, and collecting large tins of malt from the school secretary (I loved my spoonful of malt each day).

Congrats Lorin. Drive carefully!

Sorry if I missed anyone, but if I did, congrats to you too.

[Vader]

Since Vader missed your question Deer, yes, IIRC, he's in Germany.

Ooops, my bad. Yes, I'm in good ol' Germany. (... and I'm not blond and I know how to pronounce my "th" properly. )

[aliantha]

Congrats, Ali. You didn't answer my question on FB about getting a paper back directly from you.

You've put that very nicely, Iolanthe. The answer I gave was that I wasn't set up to take payments directly. Now, however (as of today!), I think I am. There now ought to be a page at the blog (hearth-myth.blogspot.com) with a Paypal button for ordering a paperback of Seized. If it works (i.e., you get to be my guinea pig!), then I'll add buttons for the other books.

There's supposed to be a tab on the home page that says "Buy My Books" -- I can't see it, but that might be because I'm at work. I'll check tonight when I get home.

[Frostheart Grueburn]

(... and I'm not blond and I know how to pronounce my "th" properly. )

But there unfortunately are Watchers who fit exactly the opposite of this description.

[Iolanthe]

Sorry, Ali, can't find the reply anywhere. Must have gone way down the list and I obviously missed it. I will have a go at the paypal thingy. Look forward to reading something new!! I seem to have been doing a lot of re-reading lately.

[aliantha]

Let me know if you can't find the button. Or actually...this should take you right to the page:
hearth-myth.blogspot.com/p/buy-my-books.html

[Iolanthe]

I did it thanks to the link you just sent - couldn't find it on your blog page. Hope it worked your end!

[aliantha]

It did. I'm gonna take a look at the tab thing tonight. Might have to just put a regular link on the front page of the blog. Blogger is stupid sometimes.

[Cameraman Jenn]

I'm exhausted. Had another monster binding job today and we were busy again. One of the middle aged Asian ladies who comes in and makes copies and doesn't pay was in today and she asked me to help her because the machine wasn't working for her. I explained to her that she needed to use the card reader. She kept trying to insist that I over ride the machine for her but I kept insisted that she needed to use a credit card or buy a copy card. She finally left without making her copies. Probably won't be seeing much of her around anymore. I'm kinda hoping I get to be there when mean lady comes in. I really want to see the expression on her face.

Anyway, it ended up being a longer day than expected since Francisco showed up for his shift, late and drunk. We had to send him home so I ended up closing. Had some fun with customers today. One guy came up to me as I was elbow deep in binding AND standing in front of a row of three industrial copy and print machines and asks me, "Excuse me, do you know if they have a copy and print department at this location?" I looked at him all wide eyed and innocent and said, "I'm sorry, we don't." Then I smiled held out my arms like I was hiding something and started backing slowly away while saying, "No, I swear, those aren't really printers behind me you are totally imagining things." He started laughing and said, "Yeah, that was a pretty dumb question wasn't it?" Sometimes though, when people ask me obvious questions such as, "Do you work here?" and so forth it annoys me. They usually stop me and ask that when I am obviously helping another customer while I am wearing my uniform and a headset and a nametag. I often want to say, "NO, I just like to wear this sexy outfit and parade idiots around who can't figure out that pens are down the aisle labelled WRITING UTENSILS or that the file folders are in the aisle labelled BINDERS AND FILING in my spare time, what the hell do you want rocket scientist cuz I'm already a little busy here." Usually I just smile and say, "Can you please give me just a moment to finish with the customer I'm already helping and I'll try to get right back to you, Thanks." and walk away before they can protest.

[deer of the dawn]

Binding is one of my non-favorite activities, so my day is automatically better than yours, ali.

And funny, ali, when I was in my 20s I could be in any store and people would ask me if I worked there.