How do you feel today?

[aliantha]

Feel free, Menolly. We need all the help we can get!

[Krazy Kat]

Summer in Scotland, you've got to love it. (or have some really good waterproofs )

Scottish weather! yeah, the only place in the world where you have every type of weather all in one day. And then to top it off, hailstones from 4 different directions...

The weather here in the Midlands has been almost great. Just waiting for the wind to change from the north to southeasterly/southwesterly, and then, maybe Scotland can enjoy the last of the summer sunshine too.

[Cameraman Jenn]

I just got home from work and I need to get up in seven hours to go back there. Not in the best of moods right at this moment.

[Cagliostro]

and to go and see Eels live, which I'm looking forward to immensely!

a band? (as in The Beatles, live!)
the aquarium? (as in oooo, daddy, look at that living slippery eel!)
a movie? (as in the IT LIVES!)
a documentary? (as in The secret life of an eel)

Well, I'm going to Eels the band.

Probably go to the zoo too, and the acquarium, and the movies, and there's a good mini-golf place that I'm thinking of. Perhaps an AFL (football) game or an A-league (soccer) game on the weekend.

Enjoy Stevie. That reminds me - I need to pick up my tickets as well.

And don't forget to stay after the house lights come up. The more intimate "after-gig gig" has usually been the highlight for me of seeing their shows.

[Avatar]

...and like a true Dutchman...

In this country, Dutchman is a mild pejorative.

Gee, I wonder why

Hahaha, nah, it was even in the bad old days, amongst the English-speaking population at least.

--A

[Cameraman Jenn]

I'm really angry right now. One of my co-workers is deliberately trying to throw me under the bus. Too bad she has NO IDEA whom she is messing with. Yes, the ugly scorpion tail is in full sting mode right now and both pincers are out for blood. You try to throw ME in front of a bus and I'll just grab your shirt front and swing you right around in front of it and myself back out of the way. If steam really could come out of my ears it would be tonight.

[aliantha]

Ugh. Sorry, Jenn.

StevieG -- enjoy your concert!

[Cameraman Jenn]

I used words in my inner monologue that even I find offensive when I heard her replies and lies.

[Cagliostro]

Sorry to hear it Jenn. Is this the illustrious Chai, or whatever the name was? The one that has caused several to quit?

[Cameraman Jenn]

Nope, Zainab.

[JazFusion]

I went to the beach yesterday with the family and some friends. We all had a really amazing time. With all the crap that's been going on lately, I needed that day to recharge. I feel great today, despite being incredibly sore. But I guess trying to body surf for 3 hours straight will do that to you.

I also forgot just how much I love the ocean. I want to go back today.

P.S.- what is with everyone reading at the beach?? I've never been able to do it. If I'm at the beach, I'm swimming. I'm a fish.

[Seareach]

I also forgot just how much I love the ocean. I want to go back today.

I absolutely love the ocean too! We're lucky enough to live on the coast and it's absolutely beautiful here (although summer is chaotic when our population changes from about 2000 to 15000!). The thing I love about it is every day it's different.

[lorin]

feel cuckoo today

[Cameraman Jenn]

And round one goes to JENN! I spoke with my boss this morning in a very professional, calm manner using terms that I knew would trigger responses insuring she was totally sitting in my court and then offered to sit down with both of them and open the discussion myself. Some of the phrases were, "feeling disappointed but more importantly disrespected." "trust issues." "on the same team and on the same page." "lack of confidence of support." I also gave specific examples of things I had gone out of my way to help my co-worker with some of which I could tell my boss was unaware I had done. By the end of our conversation I could tell by her flashing eyes and flaring nostrils that I had already won this round. My boss said she would like to talk to my co-worker first and then she would call me in. I said that was fine. She called my co-worker in to the office the instant she got to work and they were in the office for over forty minutes before I got called in. The conversation was good, I felt we cleared the air in a big way but I'm not totally convinced that my co-worker was entirely sincere but that still could be residual frustration talking and all I can say is that only time will tell and at least she now knows I am NOT someone to be trifled with and she certainly remained on her best behavior and was pretty much kissing my tail all night even long after our boss left. So for right now I stand at giving her the benefit of the doubt. My boss also thanked me for feeling comfortable coming to her with my issues and my willingness to work them out and told me that my co-worker said in their private conversation that she likes working with me a lot and was truly sorry. On the liking and sorry part, again, benefit of the doubt which only time will tell. In response to my boss, I laughed and said, "Of course I feel comfortable coming to you if I think I am having trouble working any issues out for myself." Then I thanked her for helping me with this. I like to think I am a good person, I get mad and frustrated like anyone else but I don't think I have unreasonable expectations and I am oddly forgiving. I am also glad I don't get on the wrong side of me because I would hate to be up against me because I can be a formidable opponent. And yes, I know she got an earful and I know it was probably very serious and bad for my co-worker and I don't feel guilty or sorry for her because I feel it was just. On the other side of things I am sincerely glad we had it all out because I needed that to move on. I feel like today I took a good deep breath and let a lot of frustration go that I was hanging onto unnecessarily. I don't hate my store and there are a lot of good people there but I honestly don't feel as enthusiastic as I used to when I worked at my other store and I do miss my old store a lot. I visited this morning and saw Captain Sorus. I miss working with you Sorus. I know we got busy a lot and were in different modes of operations but we still got to interact a bunch more and I miss that. I have to mail something ups tomorrow so if you are working we might see one another again.

On other notes, i had fun playing with Trang today. I was working freight and had my hands full and bent over and my name tag fell out of my name tag pouch. I left it on the floor to go empty my hands and Trang was going to break and saw it and poked her head around the corner of the pod I was working and said, "Miss Jenn Jenn, where is your name tag?" I pretended to be shocked and looked at my name tag holder and dramatically said, "Someone must have stolen it!" and she said, "I found it on the floor." and Tyrone was right there listening and so I said, "You stole it! I see how you are, trying to get me in trouble, Tyrone, you saw how she snuck up and stole my name tag, didn't you???" Tyrone said, "I'm not getting involved in this one." We were all laughing. For the rest of the day I kept accusing Trang of attempted identity theft for stealing my name tag. I even warned everyone over the walkies that they had to watch out for Trang because she tried to steal my identity earlier by snitching my name tag. I know it was silly but it was fun and very cathartic after my extreme frustration of the night before. On other notes, I know Sorus can relate to this one, we are required to add circling the bizrate survey website on the printed receipt of the customers so when I was on register today I would say, "Be sure to visit this website and let us know how we are doing and if we are doing well, my name is JENN (dramatically point to my name tag) and if NOT my name is FRANCINE." then dramatically wink at the customers as we finished the transaction. Every single customer was laughing at that line and during busy times I had a few customers interrupt and finish my statement with, "I know, it's Francine." and giggle.

I'm sure that will get kiboshed soon enough but for now it's flying high and amusing everyone including my co-cashiers working the front with me. I also feel quite supported by my team after today. When I got out of the office from the meeting, I went to lunch. I had several co-workers ask me if everything was ok and I said quite honestly, "Yes, now it is and I am in a great mood, thanks for asking." As again, Sorus knows, it's a small crew and everyone knows when people are going toe to toe and now they have seen that I can hold my own and there was quite a bit of caring and respect rolling around my work environment tonight. On other random notes, I asked this couple,"You are over 18 right?" when they were purchasing restricted stuff. They literally guffawed. He was on a walker. I said, "I gotta ask if you don't look over thirty." She was up on it, she whipped out her AARP card and asked if we offered senior citizen discounts. She rocked. Ok, enough boring you guys, It was a good day.

[aliantha]

I'd just like to announce that MagickMaker is now a licensed driver.

ali's parenting score, out of a possible 2.0:
College graduates: 1 down, 1 to finish in May -- let's call it a 1.8
Licensed drivers: 1 down, 1 with a permit and lessons but says she "needs more practice"* -- 1.67
Average -- 1.735 (woot!)

*I'm thinking Batty might be more insistent about getting in that extra practice, now that her younger sister has her license...

[lorin]

I'd just like to announce that MagickMaker is now a licensed driver.

ali's parenting score, out of a possible 2.0:
College graduates: 1 down, 1 to finish in May -- let's call it a 1.8
Licensed drivers: 1 down, 1 with a permit and lessons but says she "needs more practice"* -- 1.67
Average -- 1.735 (woot!)

*I'm thinking Batty might be more insistent about getting in that extra practice, now that her younger sister has her license...

As a person with a .05 in the fosterparenting department, you have my undying respect and admiration. and add a touch of Awe.

[aliantha]

I'd just like to announce that MagickMaker is now a licensed driver.

ali's parenting score, out of a possible 2.0:
College graduates: 1 down, 1 to finish in May -- let's call it a 1.8
Licensed drivers: 1 down, 1 with a permit and lessons but says she "needs more practice"* -- 1.67
Average -- 1.735 (woot!)

*I'm thinking Batty might be more insistent about getting in that extra practice, now that her younger sister has her license...

As a person with a .05 in the fosterparenting department, you have my undying respect and admiration. and add a touch of Awe.

Thanks! Foster parents automatically get extra credit, tho, since they're not working with their own material.

[Spiral Jacobs]

I've had a couple of wines so I feel fine. Let's see how the night goes.

[Vader]

I feel good for once, well - less miserable than usually. I still have 11 days of my summer hols left. Then it's a short Wednesday and Thursday (staff meeting and conferences), Friday off again and the real fun starts Monday Aug/30 when all the kids are back at school (it's more fun without them. )

[Cameraman Jenn]

Yay to all the feeling good today. I can jump on that bandwagon. I cheated on Lucimay at the laundramat. Heatherly joined me and we hung at the cafe with the usuals. I do miss me some Lucimay something fierce. Seriously, Lucimay, we need to hang out. Lenore says hello. Heatherly says hello. I say Hello. Yeesh, it's been eons.