metal band on finger: priceless

I got stuck working a later shift last night. One of our customers asked when I got off work and what was I doing after work. "Going home to my husband".
Oh, he didn't see a ring.
Yeah, well about that. It was getting it pretty gopped up doing some of my usual busy-work there, so I have been leaving it at home. Really! Then I remembered the band I bought for this purpose. I haven't been wearing that because it was too big! Really!
I was flattered. I admit. If I was single, and about 20 years older, and into dudes that twist their mustache ends up and wax 'em, he might have a chance. But I'm me, married, he reminds me of one of my older cousins, and dudes that twist their mustache ends and wax them give me the creeps. Heebie Jeebies, even.
So after he left, I promptly locked our office door, and got one of the jewelry stores downtown on the phone for a price to resize that ring.

werk and whatnot

Today is my day off and I'm getting ready to clean out the flower beds like I should have done about two months ago and wash my car. Oh yeah, I slept in too.

The other day the night manager was getting ready to leave, but he wanted to hit the bathroom, but he came back in the office, "Aw that's just great. I walked in on a kid taking a dump because he didn't lock the door." So I listened for the door to open so I could tell Manager Dude the kid was done in there. I heard the door, and watched the kid walk through the lobby SMELLING HIS FINGER.

All is well for now

Yesterday was the appointment to get the a/c fixed. Ends up a joint was not soldered well at the factory, easily fixed by the tech.
I got my haircut and it's what I've been wanting for the last year. My usual person does not know how to cut fine hair. Also, I've always accepted the fact one side is always curly and one side is always flat. Again, my hair has never been cut right. Something about the hair stylist is supposed to walk around the chair as opposed to spinning the chair around as the hair is cut. Or something like that.
Today I got word a person I work with is quitting and tomorrow is her last day. Her hours were also cut, only she has four children at home to feed. She wasn't going to wait around it see if things were going to pick up, and I don't blame her. She said the phone call came after she was done praying for another job.

This past weekend's forecast: Partial Shitstorm

This week's schedule was posted on Thursday. Boss said she will call if there are any changes. She called last night. Same amount of hours, only I got to choose if I wanted second shift today or another day. I chose today since it will extend my weekend a little more. Then my days off this week were going to be Tuesday and Wednesday, and then work Thursday through Sunday, since I enjoyed an entire weekend this past weekend. Wednesday is set in concrete because I asked for that not to be changed for the dang air conditioner to be fixed. She might switch my Tuesday off with Thursday which bites because that lady offered to cut my hair when I knew my hours, except for Wednesday. So that bites because my Tuesday is up in the air right now.
Anyways- when the boss called yesterday she said she had meetings or whatever with Corporate, and nobody will ever get any more that 32 hours. I guess they have been paying overtime to cover her ass for too long. So I'm freaking out a little thinking aw crap, I'm gonna have to get another part-time job to cover this. Then I think, hey, slow down! This is the beginning of summer! This is going to be a blessing! I had all last summer off, so I had time to go to the waterpark and go fishing, I'm going to want to enjoy that again, and I can, but be employed this time. Even now I'm employed I've still kept up my good Unemployment behaviors, like not using credit cards and buying stupid shit. And we are not paying to keep the house from freezing either! This just might work out.

DUCK!!!

Everybody!
Sing with me, same melody as Creedence's Bad Moon Rising:

I see a
SHIT
STORM
RISING.
I see
FECES
FLYING
MY WAY.

Ah yes. And I have no part of it, only to sit back and watch.
Everyone has had it with our boss, the general manager. They have all had conversations with the big boss in Holland, whom I refer to in my head as Fat Bastard. He looks like a real-life Family Guy Peter Griffin, but has the voice of South Park's Mr. Garrison with a Southern accent. Just listening to him talk makes me want to give him a dose of Northern Hospitality, my right foot in his ass.
Anyway! Another underling is going to be offered the job as General Manager. The other underling is being offered a manager's job in Holland. And current manager is either going to get an underling job or fired. I'm willing to bet she's not going to be able to handle being an underling and will quit.

I just have my job duty and my checklist of chores, and if I stick with that I'm going to be just fine.

Well bite my ass!

I could not think of any other title right now.

As part of the package with my new furnace and air conditioning system that I'm paying out the ass for, I get a few maintainance checks, one being today. Ends up the air conditioner lost all of it's coolant. Yep, a brand new fucking unit, never even used yet, and it leaked. It was fine the last two checks. If it was something retarded like my husband passing it by with the lawnmower and puncturing the heat exchanger with flying crap, we have to pay for it to be fixed. If it's an installation or workmanship issue, it's covered. Knowing my shitty luck...
Let the teeth grinding commence.

Friend or Client?

I went to an open house last night. It was a hair and makeup suggestion thing. The makeup was Avon stuff, and application and hair tips was was provided by the Avon Lady's friend. She lived in California and did hair for red carpet events and whatnot. The main focus of the night was using mineral makeup on everyone to see how it looks and how nice it feels. If we had any beefs about our hair, she helped us with what is wrong. I have what is called a Shatter cut, also known as a razor cut. The only way I could achieve this with my fine wavy hair is with lots of greasey gook and and straightening iron. She was horrified that it was even suggested I use a straightening iron on my frylighted hair. So she just put a little bit of goobie in my hair and blow dried it with a round boar-hair bristle brush, and voila! The look I've wanted was achieved. Then she invited me to come to her for a haircut and color. The a big theme of the night was why stay with your usual person if you are not happy and cannot achieve what you would like. I really had given up and just kind of let whatever happen to my hair over the years because I felt faithful to my stylist. I've been with her since I was sixteen. Maybe even younger. I've been with her since she started at JCPenney's, then went to a small salon in Berrien Springs, then the owner changed the locks on her, then she cut hair in her duplex with her first husband, then moved operations to her own salon in a rented house, then moved her and her whole operation next door with her new husband. She said she was never going to have kids. Then by my next appointment, she was pregnant. Then her son was about six and her husband cheated on her and she got divorced and stuck with the house. Then she started dating, moved to Elkhart, sold her house and now rents her salon space from her new house owners. I've been with her through a lot. I feel a bit attached. But then I thought, I only hear from her to remind me of my appointment. That's it. We are not friends. Because she lives all the way in Elkhart, she commutes only four days a week. I have to book a month out to get an appointment! With gas prices now, a haircut price must have gone through the roof! But yes, I must admit, this lately I feel like I've settled. Like it's my fault I can't fix my hair. But it isn't. It's just that bad things have happened to it that it can't take. And this person I've paid all these years with all her training should have known.
I still feel bad.
Like I'm cheating!

For Unknown Reasons

Yeah I'm still here. Did you miss me? All the standing at work makes me dead-assed tired, so sitting at the computer with crap-assed dial-up just does not appeal to me. I have to take it in small doses when I can handle it.

I finally got all up my Unemployment owed to me. Like clockwork, I get the money first, then the day after I get the letter explaining why I was not disqualified to get benefits. "You were terminated from (insert temp agency name here that I don't feel like advertising for right this minute) on (insert date fired here) for unknown reasons. Based on the available information misconduct in connection with work has not been established. It is found you were not fired for a deliberate disregard of you employers interest. You are not disqualified for benefits.

Well NO SHIT?

I got mine, that's all that matters.

Work is well, silly right now. Boss is in trouble for paying out so much overtime. People are getting overtime for covering HER hours. My hours got cut because of it. I will never get overtime because I leave each day to let my dog out and feed him. That half hour I take out is usually mostly filled in, by about 20 minutes because I have to stay on and wait for next chickie girl to roll in late. Hey, the timeclock don't lie, so I can't be happier that something somewhere is documenting all this and I can keep my big yap shut.

More -ski's Than a Ski Lodge

My aunt died Saturday. The funeral was yesterday. She had a stroke sometime in 2001, and we thought she was going to die at any time right before our wedding. Instead another uncle got cancer and died. Then my aunt's son Bill found he had cancer and died last year. After her stroke she lost muscle control in her legs, one foot constantly turned inward and she needed to use a walker, then most of this last year it was strictly wheel-chair use. Two summers ago she forgot herself and tried to get out of bed by herself, only to fall and break her sternum. She didn't recover too well from that. Then about six months ago the weight was flying off, she too had cancer. She died in her sleep, eyes open and a smile on her face. Maybe she saw Jesus. Maybe she saw Bill. We are all comforted that she went in peace.

I totally respect people's last wishes, and the die-hard Catholics believe being brought to church one last time. I just have a real hard time with the sincerety on the church's part. At my mom's church, the parishoner's last mass is free. At my aunt's and cousin's church, the last funeral mass is $300. Mass does not start until you walk in there with a signed check. This is the part I have a really hard time with. Your loved one is outside in a casket in a hearse parked outside, and nothing can happen until you fork it over. Then during the mass the priest says a little bit about the person, whatever is told him by whoever is left behind. I just thought it was all b.s., and this is nobody's fault but tradition. It just seems forced, and of course nobody wants to be put on the spot and speak. Could I do a better job? No. I don't know how to describe it other than I don't like the priest and how he stands up there and talks like he knew my aunt. I can't imagine this priest wanting to take a personal interest in anyone other than who is handing him a check. I could tell you for darn sure this priest didn't have first-hand knowledge, he had to be handed a script. Maybe it was the way he had his little sports car backed into the spot closest to the church, halfway in the handicapped spot. Maybe it was how I thought he looked at us like a bunch of sobbing idiots. Not any compassion that you look for during the worst of our times.

After gravesite service, we walked around to find the other relative's graves. Many Polish names on the graves in this cemetary. Husband had to comment, "there's more -ski's here than a ski lodge".

We had the usual dinner at the Landmark. Every relative from my mother's side that died had their dinner at the Landmark. It's sad, but I really think we should all have a punchcard for this place, and we are all about up to our free meal. The last time all of got together was for Bill's funeral. We all got to talking we should be getting together other than for funerals. I'm taking it on to at least to open the lines of communication and get the ball rolling for a get-together or a reunion. The newsletter/invitations/ theme of course would be along the lines of More -ski's Than a Ski Lodge! I thought any kind of humor would be better bringing us together instead of what the usual has been.