Doing my best to get over the crappy Friday i had. (e:Leetee,226)

Fortunately, i have a supportive and wonderful husband who brings up my sprits just when i need them. Thanks again for the lovely orange tulips, Sweeties.

Saturday we did some estate sales. On the way to one of them, we not only missed the road we were supposed to turn down, but the sign. Our alternate route led us right by the infamous Salvation Army As Is. So, we wandered in. Wow, is all i have to say.

Since i had a job working for them many many years ago, i never thought i would buy anything from them again.

At the SallyAnne in the Hammer, i worked for them filling requisites for people who lost everything in fires. I really thought it would be something that would make me feel like i was helping so much. Finding and giving people basics like coats and shoes as they stand in front of me shivering in robes and p.j.'s, often with soot smudges is humbling.

Sadly, the officers in that location were selfish pricks and kept the best donations for their personal residences. I haven't been in a Salvation Army location or given them any money since then. (e:Uncutsaniflush) tells me that he has never heard of anythign like that in any US location.

But i digress...

I've heard so many interesting stories from people who have gone into that Salvation Army As Is.....

We left $2 poorer. I now have a green vinyl space age 60's kitchen chair for my studio. I can paint sitting on my ass now.. without worrying about getting paint on a nice or expensive chair. Woohoo...

Today, we went for a nice drive. We ended up following 78 all the way up to Lake Ontario at Olcott Beach. Nice little place. Cute little shops. Almost bought a purse at a vintage shop... and a necklace at a Celtic shop.

Gorgeous day for a drive. Excellent company.

Listened to CFNY (i don't give a shit what they are trying to call themselves these days. Pah! 102.1 The Edge!? They will always been CFNY to me) most of the drive and their reruns of The Ongoing History of New Music, which are always entertaining. Makes me feel like sitting 'round the radio like it was 60 years ago... but i never have the patience to sit still that long. Being in a car, passengering (since i don't drive) is a good reason to listen to a radio show.

We stopped a park by the water, sat on a bench. looking at the water.

This is what we saw...


Have a Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, Ya'll!

Not that i want to get involved with all the drama... but the sentiment made my heart sink. No matter how mad and hurt someone is, why would they wish an innocent group of people a bad day?

Not a critizism, just a ponderance... i guess i'm more of an optomist. Or maybe i am just a bitch for pointing it out. Not the first time today i was told i am a bitch with an attitude problem...

Luckily, the whole day wasn't all shitty; just some of it.

The part that wasn't is that it is mine and (e:Uncutsaniflush) 's 5th wedding anniversary today. I consider myself to be a very lucky woman to have this man in my life. Sometimes, i feel very much like it's me and him against the world -- just like a cheesey top 40 song.

The shithole part all boils down to my own disappointment in myself. I lost my cool. I try not to and always try to keep a brave face on, but today, i told my now former boss to go to hell. I'm chagrinned my new job lasted a mere week.

I so much want to go on about one part of the drama of that place. Tell all the juicy gossip about it and ultimately why another staff member is needed. But, dispite what i think of the place and particularly it's owner, i will abide by my promise to the manager, Ethel, and not tell anyone. *pouty*

I was working at a gas station / convience store near here. Nothing too taxing. Merely standing at a cash register all day, ringing in gas orders, slices of semi-cold LaNova pizza, soda, beer, cigarettes and other bits of taudry bric-a-brac.

It's the kinda place that claims it can't afford a scanner for the UPC codes (despite the high end subdivision the owner "lives" in), so all the prices have to be memorized. I was told on my first day that i was not to write anything down. That it makes the customers think i am new (duh, aren't i?) and that i don't know what i am doing. I was told to ask if i didn't know, but that i had to "get those prices down" (as in memorize them).

So, i am told to not write prices down. To not ask her because she is busy with the owner's parents taking care of a problem. If i don't remember, i am supposed to... what? So, i cost them less than a dollar because of a price mix up. Yes, i said i was sorry. But i don't expect to be called stupid for not having the store prices memorized on day 4.

I think, in general, i can be and am an agreeable kinda person. When learning, i try to follow direction even when i don't fully understand and wait for things to fall into place, or for further direction.

When i am learning something and someone says to me directly, 'do this', i do it. If i am told to write down a specific number on a line of some paper work by the manager, i do it. When the math doesn't go right, and things are double checked only to find that line is pointed to as the problem i feel i have to say i was just doing what i am told. Normally, i don't expect to hear a laugh and an insult.

I got sick of being told that i am stupid. I got sick of being told to do one thing, then the next minute hearing something that contradicted that, then something that contradicted the first two.

Yesterday, a regular customer defended me. I was doing fine and didn't need someone to take over, tell me what to do and screw things up only to turn around and blame me. I could easily ring in a bag of chips, pizza and a soda without help. To push it all aside and order me to ring in 99 cents no tax won't help if i have already done it.

Today, when i told Ethel "that's it", she asked the next girl on shift if she had problems when Ethel was training her. "Did i give you any problems?" i think was the question. While facing me, Ethel's back to her, she said "no, not at all Ethel" while nodding, knowingly at me.

On my way home, a regular customer stopped me and told me that he knows about everything that happened and doesn't blame me one bit. Ethel may have worked there for 17 years, but she can't keep some of the staff.

Anyone hiring?

I completed my first day on the job... a 5 hour shift. I'm not too tired, but yeah, my feet are a bit sore. Despite wearing the new Chucks. Been over 5 years since i have had a job. And this is the first one in this country. Weird getting up this morning....

Might mean i have to work on mine and (e:Uncutsaniflush) 's 5th wedding anniversary this Friday, though. We'll see. Sounds like normal life stuff and i reckon i should get used to it. Besides, we have had 4 anniversaries before it in which we could do anything we wanted... and hopefully many more to come in which we can run away somewhere.

I think for the first time ever, i went to a cleaning and check up at the dentist and had no cavities. Freaky. Quitting smoking, needing fewer cough candies because of quitting and not drinking as much sugar (juices and sodas) has helped a lot, i suspect.

I'm a bit nervous about starting the new job in the morning. *sigh*

Looks like i got myself a part time job. It's no glam job, but it will be a start. Pray for my feet on Tuesday!

Oh, and i forgot one pic from the party...

Bad me!



P.S. Drop us a line to let us know you made it home safe and sound, (e:Twisted) ?

Thanks for hosting yet another stellar event, (e:PMT) ! The house is, of course, beautiful. I had no doubt that ya'll would make it so.

(e:Twisted) ... thank you for making the trip to come to this party. It was a pleasure to meet you. Gives me yet another of the many many reasons i would want to visit San Fransisco. Hope you were able to make it to Marshals to get a pair of orange chucks. :O)

Glad to see you made it back into the house ok, (e:Kookcity2000) ! Hope the bucket helped!

OK, (e:peeps) .. the pictures. I could describe each one, but sometimes, words just don't do a picture justice. So, here they are...

Yesterday, the sirens didn't even wake me. But my phone ringing downstairs did. I ran to get it. Kirsten, i thought... oh, no, something is wrong with the healing of her wisdom teeth extractions!!

On the way to the phone, i noticed the red flashy lights. Parked half on our lawn and half on Deb & Carl's lawn was a fire department SUV, engine running. Yipes, was my next thought... Deb & Carl decided to divorce in a blaze of glory, as it were.

Didn't get to the phone in time. Was indeed Kirsten.

I went upstairs, woke (e:Uncutsaniflush) and told him there was an emergency vehicle (yeah, those were the words i used at 7am -- emergency vehicle) on our front lawn. Huh, i think, was his response.

We got on clothing more appropriate for being out of doors and went to see what was going on.

What was going on was the house 4 doors down -- there's us, Deb & Carl, then Kirsten, then Kirsten's landlords-- was still smoking. The people on the other side of them called the fire department. Something about showering at 5am and not used to it being smoky, i think...

The house was vacant. Not many of those on our block. This house was in forclosure. The dude that owned it bought it or got it from his grandmother i found out today. When, or just before, it was being forclosed on, he gutted the place. Took everything. Light fixtures, all the kitchen cabnets, bathroom stuff. Weeny.

And now, it burned down. I wonder how that happened.........

This morning, 8am. Banging. Damn. Is someone trying to break into our place. Nope.

They are tearing down the burned out house. Making lots of noise. Boo on them. I wanted to sleep in this morning.

...my husband rocks.

While yesterday's leftover curry cauliflower soup heats up, i have a moment to tell ya'll that it finally happened!

While there purchasing bread to go with previously mentioned soup, we saw him... no more ships passing in the night, wondering if it really was him.

We saw (e:Mrmike) at Weggies!

Your child is adorable, (e:Mrmike) .... and no, i am sure it is not because the youngster takes after mom!

What an interesting week... between my sickies and Kirsten's. Of course, i would take mine over hers anyday!

On Friday, Kirsten had 3 wisdom teeth pulled. *shudder* She is doing well... not too much swelling and hardly any bruising. Needless to say, she is kinda wasted on painkillers, though. I've been nursemaiding her; been going over there every 4 hours or so to make sure she is doing ok, taking her meds, getting her something to eat, and taking care of her pets. Speaking of, i should go over there soon and make sure Maslow gets his insulin. She is forgetting stuff. Narcotics do that to people.

I just finished doing some work at my desk. Nothing too fun, just balancing the cheque book, filing papers.

And, while i was sitting there, i filled out the application to write my GED. My goal is to be ready by the October 28th/November 4th test (it's done in 2 bits, both 6 hours long), but i did list the January 6th and 13th as my second choice for dates. Once i had that over, i have to follow through.. no matter how scary this is. Friends tell me i can do it, but sometimes, those wee voices in my head tell me to give up....