Would you like some more cham-pag-nya?

Today is Christopher Walken's birthday. He hosts this weekend's SNL, and I'm all kinds of jazzed about it. (Here are two of my favorite skits of all time: 'Ed Glosser - Trivial Psychic'...and also, a census taker once tried to test him...and his bobcat wife - all courtesy of Hulu, which is one of my new favorite things)

Speaking of things to be jazzed about, here's an article that features a handwritten geneaology of the Weasleys (and Luna Lovegood, for whatever reason) from JK Rowling...

Had a great time this weekend. On Saturday I went to see Horton Hears a Who in the theater with M and the boy. He was frozen in his seat for the duration of the movie, then when it was over leapt up and declared it "great". Then we went home and after I put my son to bed M and I watched Shaun of the Dead and Idiocracy while snacking and drinking homemade sangria and my own version of a Fuzzy Melon Ball. After my husband came home, he started to drink to catch up and we watched the repeat of SNL featuring Ellen Paige. Trust me - alcohol does not make the show any funnier. Then my husband went to bed while M and I stayed up to watch Beautiful Girls on cable until about five in the morning. We got up pretty late the next morning and went to a local steak place for lunch (and some really bad service from a borderline retarded waiter) before M had to head home.

The sangria was pretty good. I think I'll tweak the recipe a little and serve it during the cookout this weekend for my son's birthday. I had the day off today and spent it reading and lounging around. I have to work part of the week, but just here and there. We're planning on going to the beach on Friday. The weather is just about right for it right now.

Is that They Might Be Giants providing the song for the new Dunkin' Donuts commercial? There's the "Things I Like To Do" one, which I didn't realize was them, but there's also a new power walking one, which I can't find a good copy of on the 'Tube.



and the Fritalian one:

Drinking glasses at awkward angles

So the alley squirrels have discovered my strawberry plant, and are now doing their best to destroy all of the ripening fruit. This weekend we're going to get some chicken wire in order to vermin-proof the patio garden. And don't give me that look -
sure squirrels look all cute and harmless, but they're nothing more than rats with a good PR firm.

According to something that popped into my inbox this evening, the Simpsons ride at Universal Orlando is almost ready. And only another two years until the Harry Potter themed section of the park is also slated to open. That's something to "Whoo hooo" over.

What is up with the newest incarantions of the Power Rangers? I know this show was lame when I was younger, but it is just intolerably retarded now. 'Dino Thunder', and now 'Jungle Fury' - horrible acting, cheesy dialogue, pseudo-violent content, strange costumes...but my son loves it, so I'm forced to sit through it every once in a while. Of course, he's in bed, so I have no idea why I didn't turn the channel hours ago.

Parts of the town I live in are now on Google street-view. My work is there and I'm pretty sure I found my car in the parking lot. I'd love to post an image of one of the views, but Google won't seem to allow it. The bastards. If it weren't so late at night I'd offer the consolation prize of a screen cap of our webcam, which is located across the marina on the other side of the harbor from my building. When the weather is nice - which it is right now, without a doubt - it actually isn't a bad place to ply one's trade. I went for three walks today, it was that nice. I watched the crew prepare the sailboat for the semester-at-sea program after lunch. And stared at the yachts that have been at the port for a while. It'd be nicer if there were places to eat (other than fast food) closer to my building. There's some talk about a couple of Southern "comfort" and Creole restaurants opening in close proximity, and with the Japanese steak house under contract across the street (but yet to finish construction), the lunch-time prospects could be looking up. As could the the job itself. My maybe-possibly future new boss took me for a walk yesterday to reassure me that she was working on the issue of clearing the way for my eventual move. She's been checking on me a lot, and the rumors have started in that area that I might be joining them. They're keeping my designated cubicle warm for me, apparently. It's a downgrade from my current digs (which have four solid walls and an actual door), but I'll adjust. My priority now is to get all my little ducks in a nice tidy row, so that I can ensure a smooth transition. I still don't have a clue what the department will do with all of the work I do now. Spread it around? Hire someone in my place? Whatever they do, I've started to introduce some of my coworkers to the idea that I may not always be available to help them, and they have to start learning how to be more self-sufficient. It's for their own good anyway. So, in the spirit of my newfound (and sure to be short-lived) positivity, here's a nice little tune by PJ Harvey:

'Good Fortune'



M is coming over tomorrow. We're having dinner and taking the little guy to see Horton Hears a Who (he keeps asking if we'll see Horton Hatches an Egg, too), then back to my house for movies, snacks and booze. Hallelujah.

My Big Bang brings all the boys to the yard

This week marked my fourth year at my current place of employment. One of my coworkers found it necessary to go out of her way to send an e-mail to remind me of this dubious anniversary this afternoon. Uh huh...thaaaanks for that.

I found a birthday present idea for myself. ;)

As I was sitting on the couch tonight reading an old edition of one of the local free daily publications, I heard this incredibly loud bang. It sounded like a house exploding. We've had incidents before of neighborhood kids setting off bottle rockets and detonating small bombs at the park up the street, so my husand went out front and looked to see if there was anything amiss on the block (that's nothing - if he even thinks there's a fire somewhere in the neighborhood, he gets in the car and goes looking for it...). I turned on the tv in time to see live coverage of the space shuttle touching down at Kennedy Space Center on the other side of the state. That boom was the sound of the shuttle entering the atmosphere upon descent. It was actually kind of cool. I even called my son over to watch it. He was less keen than I was, and wandered away when the disinterest set in.

But speaking of Big Bangs...

Physics professor: Hey! Listen up! I'm tired of some of you walking out or ignoring me when we talk about the Big Bang Theory. I'm not telling you God doesn't exist, so don't get your panties in a bunch! You! Sit down! Let me finish!

Kent State University
Kent, Ohio
(via Overheard Everywhere, Mar 26, 2008)

Square jaws...furrowed brows...

The temp has started making the coffee really strong the last few days. I had to cut it with a lot of creamer and sugar this morning. And I already use a of lot add-ins, so to use even more means I'm mere hours away from a sugar coma. Speaking of temps - the temp next door got hired full time, which I knew was going to happen (although they should have been more careful with the promises made early on, before approval to hire was authorized so that pre-selection isn't an issue...) - but she turned up sick on her very first official day as a full-time regular employee. So she's out today, which means I'm asked to provide coverage for that office. Oh. Happy. Day. And later this week I get to escort a vendor and supervise them in removing equipment from another space because the manager in charge will be out getting to do professional development or something.

Someone broke the paper tray in the laser printer. No one has mentioned it to me - I noticed it yesterday when putting letterhead in there for M's support letter, so I don't even know how long it has been like that. The tray will cost over a hundred dollars to replace. Does the term "budget cuts" mean nothing to people? We don't have the money to replace things that are wantanly busted out of carelessness. I've spent entirely too much time entertaining our temp's inane questions about things that are, in all honesty, irrelevant to her current position with the organization. Or should be considered irrelevant, anyway. Like, why we can't just up and order a new shredder because, again, someone broke the old one. I actually had to tell her that there was a process involving higher level approval and requisitioning a purchase request, and blah blah yadda. Really, all she needs to know is that we don't have one right now, and I'm in no real hurry to arrange the purchase of one. I swear, I'm *this* close to shouting "This is why we can never have nice things!!" the next time something in the office gets broken.

I have an intense desire to eat chili cheese fries. Totally inexplicable. Said desire will soon manifest itself into the urge to go to Montreal to attend a Habs game and order poutine. I know that's not going to happen, so I think I'd like to organize a weekend trip up to Micanopy/Cross Creek later this year (I've been wanting to eat at The Yearling restaurant for years). I've also always wanted to visit Key West, for the sole purpose of visiting the Hemingway house. I know he's over rated as an author (and Key West is a really disappointing destination, from all I've heard), but I consider Hemingway to be an incredibly dynamic and fascinating literary personality - not to mention the fact that I would give anything to own a Hemingway cat...and I have a secret desire to become a hard-drinking, mysogynistic expatriot, too.

I've accomplished a couple of the minor things on my "to-do list of life" this year, so I'm revising it, and feeling hopeful that I can start making plans to do more of these kinds of things. My friends have been instrumental in helping me develop a mindset more of planning and doing than of just dreaming and not doing, and my husband seems pretty open to some of these ideas. Of course, I'm also really looking forward to the vacation on the Georgia coast this summer. I can't wait to see my Grandparents...I just wish it was longer than a weekend.

I guess I should get around to actually getting something done today. Todays mantra is: "I have really small feet, so it should be hard to step on my toes..."

Post Scripted: I forgot to mention that we went to Wal-Mart last night - I know, it wasn't my idea, so save your breath - and the cashier guy checking out our groceries had Javier Bardem's haircut from No Country for Old Men. And not in any kind of ironic fashion, either, but in a completely intentional bowl cut. He actually looked like his parents might have been very closely related, and I know that's not nice to infer, but that's what I was thinking while he was ringing us up. When you can't tell the Wal-Mart customers from the employees...it is really time to start finding new places to shop. But Javier Bardem...sorta want. I guess.

Maybe. If Clive Owen isn't available.

Finding the divine in a candy-coated confection

I won't tell you how my Easter went. It started off fine and went all to pot. The lesson learned was: There is no situation that cannot be made worse by freaking out.

But Spring is here now, and in honor of that here is a Perry Bible Fellowship comic that fits the holiday spirit. And yes - I know it's in incredibly poor taste. That's just how I roll...

Now to unleash screaming temporal doom

The world as we know it going to end soon. You know how I know? Vampire Weekend has sold out almost all of their upcoming U.S. tour dates. Did anyone else watch SNL the night the band performed? Was I the only who who cringed for the the entirety of both sets, thinking "This is what people are all atwitter about..."? I should have known it was going to end up all hype no payoff, since one of the DJs on the local alternative station refuses to play their music. Such as it is. I read a review that stated that they had poorly "interpreted" (*coughrippedoffcough*) Paul Simon's sound from the Graceland album (featuring collaborations with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, which. I. love.) - I immediatly listened to the songs on the band's MySpace profile and found that unfortunate comparison to be completely and disappointingly accurate. The only song I remotely liked was 'Oxford Comma', and it's the kind of thing that I'd get pretty tired of after just a couple of listens. Vampire Weekend tries too hard to be "fresh" and irreverant, appealing to those who are too young to know that the band's song compositions aren't very original and the the kids who will fall for either the references in the lyrics (Peter Gabriel and Louis Vuitton in one song), or the relative novelty of the sound. Of course, I could just be getting bitter as the shiny patina of my status as a hipster starts to show its age. In other words...I might be getting too old for this crap.

In other news, I'm watching the Spongebob Squarepants movie. My son has a big bump over his eye from bouncing his face off of the footboard of my bed last night and managed to pee on his shirt at school today. I have a sore throat, which is the first sign of a developing Spring cold. And in other *other* developments, a co-worker who I had drinks with earlier this week may have spilled the beans on a possible change of scenery for me. M and I are chatting about this right now. More news at 11, following the high school football scores.

It's Wednesday night...

...so it's business time.

The live version of this song was posted over at the CDP today. I LOVE Flight of the Conchords.

Addendum: CDPeon Emily has posted more Flight of the Conchords clips in the comments. The Bowie ones are especially magical. Check 'em out.

I have a migraine, and I've had about enough of today. I'm supposed to have drinks with some co-workers after work, but I just don't know if I'm up to it. I'll go...I just don't know if I'm going to be very good company. I feel like brooding and giving in to the urge to be alone while I nurse some fresh grudges into a glaring case of full blown angst. Happy hour is not really conducive to maintaining such a frame of mind. Maybe time to get out and to socialize is what I need, but it sure as hell doesn't feel like what I want right now.

Q*&*D

Ugh. Today is crazy. I'm running around, conveying bad news left and right (let me just say that playing the bad guy is really not my forte - "Don't kill the messenger" has become my rallying cry lately), finishing projects and starting new ones I may not get to complete on time, putting out fires (not literally...yet) and generally being a good worker bee. What's that sound? It's my buzz. Yes it is. It feels good to be this productive, but it is also tiring. The good news: I got nominated for an award. Now as far as my chances of actually winning said achievement award...what's that place called at the intersection of slim and none? Notgonnahappensville, population one? Yeah. I think I'll be taking the fast train with no return ticket.

I found out that my boss approached the accounting manager and offered me up, not the other way around like I had originally thought. So I'm not sure how to take that. I'm opting to not dwell on it. Yet. It's one of those things: if it happens, great, but if not, well - life certainly goes on. The accounting manager also told me that she had considered asking me to help with a huge filing project on the weekends, since I'm the only one she trusts to know what the forms are and organize everything the way she'd want without having to ask a ton of questions, but because I have a family she isn't sure she wants to impose upon my personal time. I gave some dates that I'd be available and stated that I was more than happy to help (it would, after all, be overtime), so if she needs me she knows where to find me.

The boss just walked out of a meeting that could have some very interesting implications. I'll be able to share details once the deal has been brokered and I have no longer been sworn to secrecy about the whole thing. It's a good deal, and my fingers are crossed that it works out.

I had a very busy and productive weekend that included housework and manual labor. We're getting ready to do some much needed landscaping, so we dug up about a quarter of the front yard ourselves on Sunday. Using shovels. To say my body aches would be a massive understatement. I don't even want to think about what we're planning for the back yard. But when we're all done it should be nice, so it will be well worth it. The vegetable and strawberry plants in our impromptu patio garden are doing very well, and I potted some daylillies too. We went out and bought a new grill because my husband determined we "needed" one, and I suffered a minor injury while helping to assemble the darn thing. The hamburgers we had for dinner that night were simply delicious, mainly because I had shed blood in the process of ensuring we would be grilling that night.

I'm reading a ton of books right now. I've put aside the Umberto Eco for a little bit. I'm feeling a little too obtuse for his particular style. So I'm deeply into a work of fiction that has Edgar Allan Poe entwined into the plot, and feeling inclined to revisit a little of the author's troubled personal history. At the same time, I'm reading a book about Queen Elizabeth I's leadership style that I had borrowed from someone, and also a volume on western philosophy. My brain is on overload. Why do I do this to myself? I'm not even taking any classes right now. I can't imagine how I'm going to feel when I inevitably cave to the pressure to not just apply (like I did last semester), but actually enroll and take classes.

I can't believe it's Easter weekend already. Where does the time go?? I have a two hour meeting this afternoon, in order to help someone else with a project they were charged with as part of a committee. And so this post ends the way it began. Ugh.

We are here to party hard

It's overcast and drizzly today. The perfect weather for being in bed and cuddling with someone (or something). But instead, I'm at work. C'est la vie, I guess? My husband and I went to have sushi for lunch at a Thai resturant downtown, but we sat there for fifteen minutes waiting for someone to acknowledge us before we just got up and went to the diner next door. It wasn't really what I wanted, but it was food, so oh well. We'll be going somewhere else for sushi from now on - the service at that place is pretty hit or miss.

While we were at the diner eating our lunch, my husband and I were eavesdropping on a coversation a couple tables over where a man was talking about Scientology, and the controversy about protests by a group calling itself "Anonymous". In the comments section of one of the local paper's news stories about the protests and Scientology's response of lawsuits and restraining orders against people who may - or may not - be members of this group, was posted:

* Operation PARTY HARD * Is the name for the PEACEFUL worldwide protest against $cientology taking place this Saturday. Join anonymous. Everyone is welcome We represent people of all ages and from all walks of life. There will be delicious cake

They had me at "delicious cake".



I got two invitations from a former co-worker to events this weekend and early next week that I think I'm going have to pass on. I was asked if I wanted to go to the Ren-Fair on Sunday...and I do...but not with a bunch of people I don't know (which is what would happen). And then I was invited to a theme night at one of the local clubs on Monday night, but doors open at 10 PM and it's St. Patrick's Day!! How insanely packed will places be? Not to mention all of the obnoxious "special occassion" drunks. Plus, I have to work the next day - and I can't take the day off because I have a project due. So I'm just going to have to decline. Again. It makes me feel bad to always be saying no to these things. I also was invited to go have drinks after work with "the ladies" again. Pretty much the usual suspects. They want to try a new bar with cheaper drink prices and a younger, less easily offended crowd, and I told them I was up for whatever the group decided.

I have work to do, but it is so cold in the office I really can't concentrate. I want to go home and curl up in bed so bad right now.

I'm not much of a natural dancer but I've got a friend who's a natural dancer

So today I'm totally exhausted. M and I went out to see They Might Be Giants last night at one of my two favorite venues and it was AWESOME. We parked downtown, since parking is free in the evenings and walked the few blocks to the show. (Yeah...I learned that lesson a little late, but no more parking in the ridiculously expensive garage and wasting money that could be better spent on alcohol.) There was a long line of concert-goers waiting for the doors to open, so we sat at Starbucks across the street, where we people watched and discussed the nature of hipsters and scenesters and theorized about why some people equivocate (wtf?) equate "trendy" with true coolness. As we were sitting there talking, John Linnell walked right past our table and into the Starbucks - I guess to place an order to be delivered, because he didn't come out with anything. It really caught me off guard, and I'm not the kind of person to go chasing someone down to gush at them about how totally genius they are...even if it is true. I got a little bit of flack from M about this, but I'm not very easily starstruck (I've met Mr. T, so color me jaded), and kind of shy when I want to be. I was just content with just being able to have a kind of neat story to tell. And so I have. So after consuming our beverages, we mosied through the gate where there was now no line at all. I bought a t-shirt and we ran into someone M knows and waited for the concert to actually start. The opening act was pretty good - very upbeat and synth-heavy, and they were from Belfast so their accents were lovely. They were selling their own stuff at the merch table, and we love when bands do that. The show itself was great. It was a 14 and up gig, so it was an older crowd than at some of the shows we've been to and we really didn't see many kids there. (TMBG are touring mostly in support of their children's album Here Come the ABCs, which is number one on Amazon's children's album sales chart - this was one of the few shows that weren't "family events" on the tour schedule.) Since this was an adult crowd there was drinking...and partaking of other kinds, of course. Quite openly, in fact. John Flansburgh made a point to mention the "smell eminating from stage right" more than once. He also credited the "northern ingenuity and southern charm" of the tent over the courtyard stage. They played all of the songs I was hoping they would, plus a few that weren't very expected. And, of course, there was the confetti cannon! One of the lowlights was the drunken jerk who originally was in front of us but left to get more beer and then groused to the girl with him that they'd lost their spot (yeeesh, idiot - what are you, a concert newb?) and then later, attempted to heckle from the back of the crowd. He apparently didn't approve of the band playing a couple of children's songs and shouted about them being "p*$$ies" when they asked the people in the front by the stage to please not throw anything, even if it was done with good intentions. That earned the bastige the stank eye from both M and me. Otherwise, everyone was cool and just there to have a good time. There were two encores. Istanbul (Not Constantinople) was the final song of the night. I bought another shirt and the two children's CDs for my son. Well...okay, they're really for me. After the show M and I hung around for a while being hassled by homeless people and drunk waiters as I vainely hoped to catch the band for autographs. John L. walked right past us going out to the tour bus parked across the street without stopping (which I figured would happen), and by the time we were ready to leave John F. hadn't emerged. I was a little disappointed, but figure maybe next time I'll be lucky. We trekked back to the car and ended up at the diner by my house for a very late dinner just in time to be caught in a torrential downpour when we were ready to leave. At least the weather held out until after the show, but it wasn't supposed to rain yesterday and M and I got soaked running to my car. All in all, it was a really good time. At some point I'll edit this post to add some of the pictures I took, and maybe a song or two if I feel motivated.


Up next: drunken movie marathon at my house at the end of the month. On tap: midori, sangria, and enough snacks to make us burst (or potentially sick). On the marquee: Shaun of the Dead, Identity, Idiocracy for sure, and if we have time (and are still coherent enough) maybe Pulp Fiction.

I'll have another one of these with some alcohol in it.

I had a bad afternoon. I recounted it all in a very long e-mail to M. So I'll just summarize, here, since I'm headed over to the store in just a few minutes. I had an unpleasant encounter with a manager following a group meeting where said manager had gone out of her way to be less than pleasant, which resulted in me being very upset for the rest of the day. I made a mistake in not conveying correct information earlier this year, and I'm willing to admit to it...but it is hardly the kind of mistake that is worth threatening me with some kind of possible disciplinary action for, which is basically what happened. She's not my supervisor, so that would really be up to my boss to decide. I've spoken to a couple of people about what took place, and I have a course of action to follow. So - bring it on. And that's all I'll say about the whole ridiculous thing.

I'd rather talk about the fun we had planting our vegetables (and strawberries) yesterday in the backyard. We all underestimated the force of the springtime sun and ended up with sunburns. My son seems to be feeling much better than he was last week. Just a bit of a lingering cough, which is being treated with otc cough suppressant and albuterol. He was so much better in fact, that he helped his dad rake leaves this evening. Tomorrow night I go to a concert with M. I'm pretty excited - I've heard TMBG put on a good show, so it's something to look forward to. And with that, I'm off to the store, and when I return I will be having at least one gin and tonic as I tidy up the house.

:::::Wizzzaaaard!:::::

Legendary actor SIR IAN MCKELLEN is poised to revive his role as wizard GANDALF in the movie adaptations of J.R.R. TOLKIEN's novel THE HOBBIT - insisting he's the obvious candidate for the job. MCKellen, who has appeared as Gandalf in all three Lord Of The Rings films, has made no secret of his desire to land the part - even though Peter Jackson will not be directing. Speaking exclusively to WENN, the veteran actor admitted he could not think of anyone better to play the role than himself. He said, "I certainly hope it's true - have you got anybody else who you think should be doing it?" MCKellen isn't the only actor praying for a phone call to confirm his involvement in the Lord Of The Rings prequels - Elijah Wood is also desperate to revive his role as Frodo Baggins.

Sorry for the weird caps there - this was a quick cut 'n paste job from an industry website...it's really just an excuse to post these:

Thanks, Photbucket ;)

Ways and Means

The bosses are MIA today, so I'm sitting here eating watermelon and drinking my new favorite over-priced beverage, Fuze (with Super Ciritmax) as I listen to my airy-faerie Pandora station and read an article in one of the local weekly rags about the Ani DiFranco show across town that I'll be missing because I'll be singing about the birdhouse in my soul at the They Might Be Giants concert on that same night. It was a tough choice, but I figured since I'd already dragged M to the Tori Amos show last year, I had no right to expect her to want to go to another angry alt-folk-rock grrrrl power event. Just the fact that she agrees to go along with these kooky things I plan makes me happy.

I recently became reacquainted with a good friend from high school through MySpace. It's a little weird, considering I was pretty resolute for a while that I would not be tracking down old classmates. But this is one of the few people that I have actual positive associations with in my memories of my teen years, and she seemed at least receptive to exchanging greetings, so that's nice. I have a potentially middling-sized social circle, but most of my "friends" are really the kind of casual friend that I don't spend a lot of time with and don't have a lot of expectations of. In fact, quite a few of them are pretty much the internet-only variety, even the ones I used to hang out and work with. A lot of my friends have kind of fallen off the map over time somehow. I guess in the past I've always been a kind of lazy friend who let people shift in an out of my life pretty haphazardly, but I try really hard these days to keep what close friendships I have from sputtering out - the older I get the more they mean to me. It's really lonely and isolating not to have some kind of support system, even for a confirmed introvert like myself.

I'll be taking work home this weekend. And why, you may ask, would I do something so foolish? Ah, I answer - because I'm a procrastinator and I have stupidly frittered away an awful lot of time this week for nothing so that I'm forced to use personal time to play catch up. In fact, as I type this there are several vastly more important things on my desk that I really should be doing. I have a problem with motivation. Can you tell?

One of the bosses keeps sending me reminders of voting deadlines. Why? Our primary didn't count for crap and I can't figure out who the eff I'm potentially voting for: Candidate more-of-the-same-stay the-course? Candidate nothing-of-any-substance-to-say-just-feel-good-sound-bites-of-what-people-want-to-hear? Or candidate too-much-baggage-and-touchy-feely-socialism? I am the epitome of disinterested and disenfranchised. So I say...

Get what you give

I have a sick child at home with the flu. My husband graciously stayed home from work today, but it will probably be my turn tomorrow. Then, I'll probably catch what my son has and be down for the count for a few days.

When I came in to the office today I found out that the latest temp decided she was above being a "receptionist" and would not be returning after lasting a whopping day and a half. Are you kidding me?! She made twelve dollars an hour to do practically nothing, and the work was beneath her? Can't say I'm really sorry to see that one go. Maybe the manager who has been making these crappy hiring decisions will finally take my advice and find someone younger and more motivated and with actual skills (this last temp really overstated her administrative abilities, from what I could see in the incredibly brief time she was here). Also, because the manager was dumb and gave the woman a key, we now have to get our locks changed. This is why I told her we generally don't assign keys to contract workers and temp staff for security reasons. Isn't that a pretty basic concept? Will people never listen?

Recently I was told there's some agreement that might be made to move me to the accounting oversight area, and I've been getting broad hints directed to me to make sure all of the department's issues are well in order before the start of the new business year, but I wish someone would talk to me about this. And I'd be able to get all this junk completed and the records in order if I was doing just my job. I really don't deal well with "what if" scenarios running through my head while I'm trying to focus on my all-over-the-place workload. This month marks my fourth year with my current employer. My review has been due since December. I sent my boss a reminder last month (hello - why do I have to remind my supervisor to evaluate me?), which has gone wholly unacknowledged. My boss and I rarely interact, and I get a sense that he is more interested in investing himself in ensuring the success of others rather than me. My husband thinks I should address this with my boss, but I'm unsure of how to do that diplomatically. I'm afraid of getting aggravated and saying something like "Look...I know I'm not young and 'hot', and I'm not a sycophant doting on your every word and deed...but I work my ass off sometimes doing everything that is asked of me, and because of being short-staffed I'm supporting half of the units within this department in some capacity. Is it too much to ask for a commendation letter for my employee file? Or even just a meeting once a week to discuss issues and to reassure myself that my boss values my input, appreciates what I bring to the department, and the work I do for the organization?". Then I'd probably burst into tears and flail my arms like a little girl. And considering the nature of my last review under our interim boss, maybe I'm better off not knowing the ways in which this boss finds me lacking. I swear, if the term "team player" even enters into it...I may not be accountable for my actions, okay?

Well, it's the afternoon and former co-worker Barbie just had a two hour meeting with the boss that was only scheduled for a half-hour. Meanwhile, if I take ten minutes to explain a problem I feel like I'm monopolizing his precious time. What could they possibly have to discuss for two freaking hours? I mean, he has made offhand comments about how he's been checking on her progress in the position she was pretty much handed, and yet I'm still waiting for some kind of appraisal to see if I'm living up to whatever in the hell his expectations are. Okay, am I suffering from justified indignation or paranoid professional jealousy? Someone help me out here, because I need to know if I'm being petty and reading into something when I shouldn't be.

On a positive note, I ate carrot cake for breakfast. Because I'm an adult and I will give myself over to the inevitable onset of diabetes if I damn well please!

Someone get me a hermetically sealed bubble, STAT!

(Image courtesy of Pingdom, via The Laughing Squid)

The temp worker one of the managers hired on Friday has been loudly hacking, coughing and snuffling all freaking day. It's really getting on my nerves. And I already feel awful, so if I actually get sick I will be forced to wreak merciless vengeance on them both. Plus, I don't much like this temp. I can't really say why...I just don't get a nice vibe from her.

Argk - there she goes again! Urge to kill RISING!!

How timely! CNN is featuring a poll today about sleeping at work:

Have you fallen asleep or become very sleepy at work in the past month?
Yes: 62% (65185)
No: 38% (39444)
Total Votes: 104629

Add one more to the yes column, please.

Oookaaay...the coworker just got flowers from her husband (personally, I kind of think she sends them to herself) and the well past middle aged delivery guy just totally sexually harassed every woman working in this office. And not in an "Aw, that's kind of sweet and adorable" way - more of an "Ewww, old skeevy perv alert, man the battle stations" way. Ugh. I feel gross. Can I please go home now?

Being fantastic is nothing compared to being FAAAAABULOUS!

I had a long weekend, and the recovery is slow going. I spent some time with M on Friday, and that was great. We had lychee sake martinis in a very trendy and upscale sake bar that served small portions of ultra hip fusion cuisine. Then we went to one of the local theaters and watched a performance featuring classic European cabaret music that flirted with being slightly risque at times - there was even a drag element at one point. I think we were the only ones in the audience under the age of seventy. And after the show we went out to one of the tavern-style chain restaurants (since so many places close before we're ready to put our good times to bed), and endured the herd of obnoxious and uncharming frat boys a couple tables away who talked incessantly (and unecessarily loudly) about their favorite types of adult media as we tried to chat. I spent a lot of time cracking penis jokes and generally being profane. In a couple of weeks we're going to see They Might Be Giants (how exciting!), and we're making plans to see a local performance of Equus, and maybe the Ren Fair...there's so much to do and so little time to do it in! I spent most of Saturday just hanging around my parents' house, and headed home Saturday evening. Sunday afternoon was spent cleaning before a friend of my husband came over for dinner. We made chicken wings and stayed up really late playing GTA San Andreas on the Xbox and talking about the state of my place of employment. So I'm beat and can't focus - all I want to do is go home and sleep.