Some of you might be following the saga of me and the state job. I reckon most of you don't give a shit, and that is a-ok with me.

Right now, i am trying to figure out what i want. I got a call from my contact regarding this job and she says i need to get a driver's license ASAP, all caps. She wanted to drive me to the DMV today, but it just doesn't work that way.

These days, new drivers need to do a 5 hour class and get a certificate saying it was completed. Most drivers ed places do this on Saturdays, but i am working this Saturday, 10 am 'til close at 6pm.

It was suggested i blow off work, don't go, get someone to cover for me, quit if i have to. Even though i hate my job and the people i work for, i could not do that to the people i work with. I have some integrity.

The boss is going away and we were told in a mandatory meeting a few weeks ago that no one can take off any time during her managers get away (some sort of thing the managers get if WE do all this work for them... *grumble*) or during inventory, which happens shortly after she gets back. No way on earth i would get any time off, even if i asked, and i just cannot screw anyone over like that, even if they would do it to me in a flash. I just can't.

Kinda puts me in a high pressure situation.. get a license and get it right now. Like before April is over, even?!!?? Not sure i could pass without a little practise and (e:Uncutsaniflush) is working a lot right now, too. So he has barely any time to take me. We seem to work such opposite shifts, too.

I need to do this all on my terms. I still have to be myself. I still need to get a license, so why wait.

I did find a place that has one of those 5 hour classes on Tuesday night. It will be a time crunch for me, to get from work to the class, by bus, in an hour, but i will do what i can. Will make for a long day, too... 9am - 4pm, then a 5 hour class starting at 5pm, after working until 9:30pm the night before. I can do it. It is possible...

But...

Do i actually want the job? This job? I have been questioning that lately. Too much. Wondering if smoke was being blown up my ass or if it is and has been something i actually want. Is it just because it is a state job, with good benefits, even for part timers? Or do i really want to work with the developmentally disabled?

I reckon i can figure that out as i go. If i do get the license and the job and start the training... if i hate it, how much further behind am i? In another job i hate, but at least i get benefits.

A while back, (e:Uncutsaniflush) and i saw a review in the Buffalo News about this restaurant. Unfortunately, my stomach was at a point in which i could eat so little and one of the trigger foods when i ate out was Indian. So, we weren't eating out much and never eating Indian.

I've never found out what is wrong with my stomach (sucks to not have health insurance), but i do have flare ups when i can eat almost nothing without cramps. Tea and toast, and somedays, not that. But i digress.

But, yesterday, i felt brave. Been months and months since i had Indian. And i missed it... oh, how i missed Indian food.

So, we went to the Palace of Dosas (not much of a website, but, it exsits). It was soooOOOooo yummy.

Sorry, (e:Paul), i didn't take pictures, didn't have the camera with me.

(e:Uncutsaniflush) had the masala dosa lunch special.... the dosa was HUGE. About a foot long!! He gave me a hunk and it was superyum! It came with some sort of creamy minty stuff that had a kick, some soup that had peppers in it and a couple of bread things -- one that looked and tasted like a savoury donut (yep, i am from Hamilton, the birthplace of Tim Horton's) and the other like a slightly bland piece of corn bread.

I had what i thought was the other lunch special, the Thali, i think it was called. It was huge... rice with nann and a pompadom, and 6 wee dishes of yummy things to scoop up and eat. There was a riata (please, forgive all my mispellings) that was amazing and had chunks of cucumber. There was a spicy bell pepper dish that was sorta like a soup. There was a spinach and chick pea dish that had a bit of a kick and a slight mint taste. There was a tangy tomatoey soup that was spicy. There was a legume dish that was mild. And, much to my surprise, a desert i liked. Surprising because it had 2 things i rarely like in deserts -- raisins and tapioca. It was a nice finish to the meal... mangos with raisins and pistachios.

Turns out, when we got the bill, i had the full version, the dinner one, i guess you could call it. A bit disappointing that there was a communication problem, but it wasn't expensive at all.... for both of us, the bill was 20 bucks and change.

I loved the fact that i had all these choices (despite the fact that there are technically only 2 lunch specials) for me. Everything was vegetarian...!!!!!!!!!!

We just renewed our Buffalo Zoo membership and since we did it early, we got some coupons. Some we will use, others, we won't. So, i thought i would ask if anyone here would be interested in them.

Anyone want 10 free train or carousel ride coupons for the Buffalo Zoo? Email or post it me with your address and i will mail them to you.

Well, we finally figured out names for our girls, (e:LeeTee,43805).

The more outgoing but less dominate one was called Decca before; she is dark brown and has a white chin and belly. So, we named her after the Linux mascot, Tux.

The timid but dominate one was called Uh-Oh before; she is beige all over. We decided to name her Tofu.

So, there you have it, Tux and Tofu. :)

We made a vet appointment for them tomorrow. I signed a paper at the SPCA promising to take them to the vet within 10 days of adopting them, and tomorrow, both (e:Uncutsaniflush) and i have the day off, so he can drive us.

Yesterday, my our DM was in the store, as she usually is on Monday. Of course, that makes things run less efficiently and it makes our manager artificially cheerful. My manager asked me if we found names yet, so i told her. Of course, the DM was a moron about it. How could you have rats as pets? Do they have rabies she asked!? I shake my head at the sheer stupidity and lack of knowledge some people have.

Don't mock my rats!

Not too long ago, i got a letter letting me know that i got a perfect score of 100 on the civil service test ((e:Leetee,43764)) i wrote back in early February.

I got another letter. This one is for a group presentation and individual interviews on the 14th of April. A cattle call of those with a good score.

Wish me luck!

We don't like the names they already had, so we have been trying to think of new ones... while waiting for them to be less afraid and see some personality come out. One of them is far more timid, but is dominant. The other one likes to climb and is far more inquisitive.

OK, we decided, much to my heartbreak, that we cannot have a dog. Our lives are just that much too busy to house train a dog right now. Plus, we aren't home as much as i would like for a new puppy. Poor thing would be alone for at the minimum, 6 hours at a time. Maybe some day. Just not now.

(e:Uncutsaniflush) isn't completely sold on having a pet anyway. Not that he doesn't like them, but he is less of an animal person than i am. But then again, almost everyone is less of an animal person than i am. I go to mush around them... and turn into a complete dork (yes, even more than usual).

We are thinking of looking for something small and furry in a cage. I had pet rats before and i think they are cute, friendly, social and so underrated. We are planning on looking at the SPCA, since it appears as though they have some baby rats (also known as kittens) for adoption. :O)

Interesting. This post was supposed to just be about the funny youtube video i just saw about a pet that even i cannot get behind. But, as usual, i babbled.

Here's the vid:

I have been a bit of a disgruntled worker lately. I seriously think my manager has a personality disorder. One minute calling me a bitch, and the next, wanting to chat about what i am doing after work. I have PMS right now, and if she had gone the bitch route too much longer today, i may have burst into tears and walked out. But, i kept my grumpy good humour about me, laughing it off at how amazing it is this place runs, let alone keeps staff. Oh, wait, it doesn't.

So. (e:Uncutsaniflush) picks me up at work today. It looks like he has news. And he does! I got a letter in the mail today. I got the results to the civil service test i did in February (e:LeeTee,43188).

I got a perfect score. 100. Yay... x 100!!!

During and after the test, i thought i did well. Thought i aced it in fact. While waiting for my ride, i got to talking with others about specific questions and their opinions strengthened my own.

All the questions were related to the field of work and they seemed to be common sense to me. I really do not think it would be wise to let a know child sex offender continue to watch a childrens programme while in a group home's social room. That person needs to be redirected. Is it really that difficult to figure out? Apparently. Since those 2 women thought i would fail based on my answer. But, ha ha... i have the last laugh. A perfect score!

Now, i wait to see if the state contacts me for an interview. Those with the highest scores go first. So it's just me, the others that got 100, and anyone that got 100 and the extra points for being in the military.

Maybe i can hang on at Sally B for a bit longer....

A big thank you to everyone who expressed their sympathies and condolences regarding the death of my grandfather in my last post. Thanks, too, to those that wanted to say something and didn't... even the thoughts unexpressed can somehow help.

We went to Hamilton this weekend for the funeral.

I found out my grandfather's first name wasn't what i thought it was. He used to introduce himself as Larry. I thought his name was Laddie. Turns out, it was Vladco. No wonder he preferred Larry.

I think it is very cool that my aunt's side of the family was there. They are barely related to him. The family of a daughter in law. Made me respect them. And it made me ashamed of my dad's side of the family, the family of the son in law. No one came to the visitation, or even called my dad or mom.

My nephew, Luke, got back from France and was a pallbearer in his great grandfather's funeral in the span of 48 hours. He's a good, kind, sweet, fun, funny and damn cool kid. His younger sister is equally as cool, just far more understated. Next time i think my sister in law is being a shit, i need to remember that she is one hella good mom.

When we arrived, my mom looked like shit that was feeling a bit under the weather.

I was brave enough to tell a story about my grandfather during the funeral services, even though i am very afraid of speaking in public. But my mom wanted me to.. she asked me to tell a story when the priest asked if anyone had any. She looked at me, and even though she would have understood if i didn't, i just had to. For her.

I bawled when she was reading. She doesn't cry easily, so when her voice was so wee and it cracked, i lost it.

I think her tears and the closure of the funeral helped her. She looked better this afternoon.

Death changes us. Sometimes, even for the better.

The death of Pierre Trudeau changed my life for the better.

I would like to take this experience forward and somehow make it positive.

I need to enjoy what i have. Someday, i will not have any of it...

I hope wherever you are, Grandpa, you are in the right lane. Thank you.