My First Day At Work Part III: The Caffeinating.

SO. I had planned allllll day to make a long-ish post, mostly paragraphs, talking about my first day at my new story in Storrs. HOWEVER. Two weeks of not working added to a seven-and-a-half-hour shift added to a very late meal added to a long day added to not having anything to eat since a slice of pizza almost six hours ago added to poor sleep last night equals out to a fairly brief entry.

(Note from author made halfway through this entry: apparently it's not going to be brief after all. Consider this your warning, all you readers somewhat new to my blog. For those not new: it's about average length.)

Here goes!

Things that are different at my new story:
[o] Fresh bananas! They're a pain in the ass to peel without touching the actual banana before blending. They actually make it take a little bit longer. They also apparently make for a lot of waste what with store-until dates and times when they've arrived in a...less than appetizing form. I didn't even know bananas could sweat. Verdict: boo.
[o] Recycling! Milk jugs, cartons (soy, juice, dairy), syrup containers, and newspapers all go in a recycling bin! My inner hippie is ecstatic! Verdict: woo!
[o] Ice bin! There's only one! It's like the long one at Ironwood, more of a trough than a bin, but I'm learning how to deal with it pretty quickly. Verdict: meh.
[o] Ice maker! Back to the plastic scoop and no velcro to keep the lid from smashing my hand! Boo!
[o] Blenders! They're attached to a bar at about hip height. And there's only two pitchers, one regular and one soy. Boo.
[o] Boss Man! He's a lot like my dad, an aging hippie just dripping with snark who likes to bust his workers' balls, mutters about customers under his breath on the floor, and outright calls them assholes and idiots in the back room. WOO!
[o] Co-workers! They're very nice and very friendly and very sarcastic. I like 'em. They also take care of each other on the floor. There was never a moment when it felt like someone was being abandoned while ringing or barring or anything else. Support is a given, scheduled in. And with how busy it was, that was really, really nice to have. Woo!
[o] Bars! THERE'S TWO OF THEM RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. When it gets really busy, you can pour four shots and steam two pitchers AT THE SAME TIME. I'd make a :D face but it wouldn't be a smile, it'd be a jaw dropped from the sheer wonder of it all! WOO!
[o] The order! It gets dropped off in the middle of the store, leaving us to cart it into the back to be sorted and put away. UGH. Boo.
[o] You know all those containers and tools we baristas use and take for granted every day, things like whips and pitchers and blenders? Yeah...as I mentioned, there were only two frappucinno pitchers, plus only four milk pitchers in use at any given time, and I'm pretty sure the store only has a half a dozen whips. And people, I was going through a whip every 20 minutes during the afternoon rush.
[o] And the one we've all been waiting for, especially me, TIPS. Drum roll please......around TWO BUCKS AN HOUR. Once again: :D WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Ahem. *composes self*

I got to work about 15 minutes early, just in time to go downstairs with Boss Man and another, much newer worker to get our cars registered with the plaza people (and learn that the trees behind our building are getting torn down for the new expansion, grumble grumble snarl hiss). I clocked in, the shift asked if I was up for barring, I said yes and jumped right in. Apart from figuring out where things are, it was pretty smooth, and it was awesome to get in a groove and do my favorite part of my job. It was really nice.

It was also really busy. Or, I thought it was busy, although still not as bad as I was expecting. I spent most of the day thinking: Yeah. I can do this. This is busy, and it's challenging, but my boss and co-workers are assuring me that I'm not mucking things up, and everyone seems really nice, and it's definitely do-able. Yeah! Then I talked to Mom on the phone hours later and found out that E.O. Smith (for those in Indiana, that's the high school di-rectly across from my store) was closed today for some kind of staff work day. That rush? That had no students.

Fuhhhh.

There was one bump today: I clocked in at 11, I got my first ten around 1ish...didn't get my meal until 4:30. I'm not entirely clear what happened, but I'm fairly certain it was a staff problem...either it wasn't done well ahead of time, or a partner mucked it up somehow. Not clear. Anyway. I clocked out for my meal, and I was all cranky about it, and decided hell with it, I'm getting myself a slice of pizza for lunch. The woman at Domino's informed me that the slice lunch special ended at 2...but she'd give it to me for free for the trouble. Then I went to the convenience store, got myself a juice...the clerk rummaged up a .50 cent off coupon to use on it, then gave me a few more for later use. I used the last 10 minutes or so to poke around the Portal and see if I could locate my last paycheck; Boss Man said he'd give payroll a call to help me find it.

Thanks, Universe! :D

Overall, it was a really great day. After work I went to a twenty-somethings women's group my therapist put together, and it was really great. I got to stop by Willington Pizza Too on the way home and correct a tipping error from a few nights ago, which made me feel a lot better. I got home to find ice cream in the freezer because Ryan wanted to get me something nice. :)

The best part was coming home, being able to take off my shoes and relax, having a space that's ours, that I helped put together and make tidy and welcoming and comfortable. And now I've done my required computer stuff and I've eaten dinner; now I can take a shower and climb into bed with clean jammies and a good book.

Happy sigh.

BusyBusyBusy (with a dose of ARGH)

WELL.

I double-booked last-big-hang-out plans with both Aurelie and the rest of Apt 131 for tomorrow. I had forgotten that the apartment had planned a Lord of the Rings marathon (BJ has never seen, we finally own all three, we love them, etc etc) and told Aurelie we could go to Lake Michigan. Figured out my big mistake at the beginning of the week and began the mad scramble to fix it.

Tuesday, That One said that even better than trading his Thursday for my Saturday, he would just takemy Saturday, since he needed the hours. He just needed to talk to his friend who he'd made kinda-sorta-plans with, but he'd call the store that night to let me know!

...yeah, he never called back. Texting him on Wednesday got no response. Fortunately, Diana agreed to trade, so I still got Saturday off! Yay! All I had to do was work her 7:30 shift today!

...UGH.

[o] I closed last night. Left about quarter to 11 (not the best close, whole different ball of WTH).
[o] My sleep was craptastic. I don't think I got a whole hour the entire night. Just awful.
[o] Got up at 6:30, worked 7:30 to 1:30, was a moron the entire time due to sleep deprivation and unhappy stomach not allowing me much caffeine intake.
[o] Get home, get in the shower, have just enough time to get lunch at 933...and not really do anything else.
[o] On the way to Goshen to meet Aurelie, get a text from That One's girlfriend (who I'm friends with) relaying a message from him: he can totally take my Saturday shift! ...yeah, about that. Gave up on that after zero response. Go ask Diana if she wants the shift that is now hers, thanks for letting me know I worked today for nothing, JERKFACE. (I was nicer than that to his girlfriend, obviously).
[o] Hang out with Aurelie at the Goshen Starbucks, good times, good times...hey, why are these ladies setting up candles? Oh, they're hosting a Party Lites event, okay...some of their friends are here, okay...some more friends...now kids....now we're surrounded by a large crowd of loud and excited women getting way too happy about candles and completely ruining our attempts to study/write. FUN.
[o] Get home, open the door to get hit in the face with the smell of cat urine. Horace went in today to get fixed, Ryan picked him up, he pissed in the box on the way home. While he's cleaned himself off (mostly) (he's also adorably drugged), both he and the carrier still reek, making the living area completely inhospitable. So much for watching TV.

Honestly, the only person I'm annoyed with is That One, for obvious reasons. My co-workers today were nice, it was awesome to spend some more time with Aurelie, and I'm hella looking forward to tomorrow's Lord of the Rings-a-thon.

...but MAN. TODAY. BE DONE NOW.

The next week (and then some):
[o] Friday: Lord of the Rings-a-thon, hanging out/baking/drinking with Aurelie and friends in Goshen in the evening, sleeping over to make Saturday an easier start
[o] Saturday: Lake Michigan! WOO! Plus packing in the evening.
[o] Sunday: Last day at Ireland, off at 5:30, may try for another night out with co-workers, but definitely lots of packing after work.
[o] Monday: All-day-come-over-any-time-mostly-933-people party as we continue packing & cleaning.
[o] Tuesday: Scramble to finish shoving everything into the trailer and call to have it picked up that night so we don't have to wait around for it on Wednesday. Bed will be completely packed, so we're spending the night at the hotel next to 933.
[o] Wednesday: Grab breakfast at 933, say good-bye, start driving. End night in Pennsylvania.
[o] Thursday: Continue driving, arrive in Connecticut.
[o] Friday-Sunday: Say hi to everyone, visit my new store, figure out flooring and possibly new furniture, get as settled as we can without 99% of our stuff.
[o] Monday: Trailer arrives, start unpacking.

Meanwhile, my Etsy store is on vacation since (a) we're moving, (b) the listings expired yesterday, and (c) I haven't decided what to list (or re-list) and plan on polling my fanbase (ha) for ideas.

Finally, on a ridiculously sappy note, today is what only I am calling our pre-anniversary. One year from today is Ryan's and my wedding date. :)

Now, back to trying to unkink the stress from my back...

Come On Already!

Oh hey it's Wednesday I wonder when I last blogged...WHUPS.

It's been a hard three days, but not in the way you'd think.

Sunday and Monday, halfway through my shifts, something would start hurting. On Sunday it was my shoulder--I'd get spasms of pain either in the joint, down my arm, or, once, up my neck. It also just...hurt, like a bad ache, all down that arm and the back of my shoulder. Started when I lifted something with my right hand, but then the ache was just constant and the spasms were random. I ended up using my left arm most of the night, keeping my right one close to my abdomen to try and avoid using it.

Monday, it was my right side again, but this time it started in my neck. I didn't get the stabs of pain, but my neck and shoulder and back just ached really badly and felt stiff. Occasionally it would really hurt, feeling like someone was pressing down on one spot on my neck.

Both mornings I woke feeling fine, so I don't think I slept on anything wrong, and then yesterday it was fine, so...I dunno. But yeah, two very long and exhausting days.

Tuesday, I wasn't scheduled until 3:30. I slept in a little, and headed to my store to write. I arrived around noon, and settled on in at the end of the bar. I was going to relax and get started on Bronte's chapter and really enjoy myself.

Around 12:30, I notice some trouble going on behind the bar. Turns out That One hasn't shown up for his shift, and isn't answering the phone. I get a text from my store manager (who didn't realize I was in the store) asking if I could come on at 1. ...Yeah, I can, but argh. No writing for me.

I go on at 1, a little while after That One calls. Oh, he overslept, so sorry. Can he just switch with me, take 3:30-9:30, and I can finish out his shift? Yeah, no problem! I'll be out at 6, I can head to 933 and write! Woo! ...Except around 3, we get another call from him. Oh, now he's sick and can't make it. I'm staying until 9:30. >.<

Yeah, normal shift for me, but still really annoying. For one thing, That One was the only one actually angry when I called in sick a few weeks ago, and that was two hours ahead (per the rules) instead of 30 minutes. For another, I had breakfast at 11, planned on eating before 3:30, but because of him didn't get my meal until 5. HUNGRY.

Right. Anyway. Work at one. Time for breakfast.

Deeeeenial.

I might have posted yesterday (Wednesday), but the day was sleeping in, getting breakfast, annoying eight hour shift, and awesome going-away-party thing for a shift from 933. I got to go drink with my old boss, my roommates, and three former co-workers. Who all have hilariously filthy minds and are huge nerds. WIN.

...although it did make me realize a bit what I'll be leaving behind when we move at the end of September. And it made me sad. I haven't really thought about it much...well, I've thought about the moving back, but more the logistics and money and less the people who aren't moving to Connecticut (i.e. everyone except Ryan and I). And I'll probably continue to not think about it, just more purposeful this time, since...yeah. Sad. :(

ANYWAY, it's my day off and I think it's time to wake the bear and get some good and get the day rollin'. Whee!

Whee? I Guess?

Today I did laundry, baked cookies, worked an incredibly slow six hour shift, then went out and drank a bit with some co-workers to see off Zach (That Shift). It was more or less a good day...

...although what does it say that I enjoyed being told my cookies were great more than I did the socializing?

It's not that it was bad...just not what I was expecting, mostly because not everyone showed and it didn't last long and yeah. Probably mostly because I was tired.

Speaking of which, off to bed for me.

PS - Thank you again to those sending me love and support. You guys are all so awesome and wonderful....thank you <3

Things Are Looking Up!...Mostly!

My apologies for lack of updates. This week has just been workworkwork, hustling to get through to my days off...which start TODAY! Ahhhh blisssss...

...of course, this day off started with waking up at 7, when Ryan did, and not being able to get back asleep for almost an hour. After a short night of really crappy sleep. Fortunately I managed to get a good snooze from 8 to 9:30, and now I'm up!

I'm loading up my thumb drive with some pictures, and heading out to FedEx to get a big ol' print done for my friends Rachel and Alex. They got married the weekend before the Connecticut trip, and our present to them is poster of one of my prints (this one, to be exact), which they picked out. :D Have to get it to them today before they pack up and move on Saturday! Shortly before the wedding, Alex got a really good job, and they've spent the past three weeks preparing to move from his parent's house to their own place in Michigan. I'm so excited for them!!

The rest of the day depends on how much energy I have after visiting to drop it off and say goodbye. As I said, crap sleep, up early, blah blah blah.

I've been mildly slacking on some aspects of what I lovingly refer to as the Ruthenium Empire. I'll admit that this slacking is due to a few personal failings; namely, that I'm exhausted, that I've been in a PMS-induced Crank Mood for the past three days, and that I'm getting all self-pitying over the lack of response. I'm trying to figure out how to get more interest going...I started the 30 Day Challenge, and I got a surprisingly fast and thorough response when I put it to a vote over what to do with the gap in posts...but I'm still having a hard time keeping up with it. I've thought about starting a blog that's solely writing about my photography--talking about where I went, the conditions, learning experiences, etc--but I'm not sure I'd get an audience. I suppose I could attempt it on a mini scale on Twitter, but I'm not sure that's the right platform for it.

In short, I'm lost, I'm wallowing in a bit of self-pity, and I'm not in the best mindset. And I'm probably over-thinking all of it.

I just have so many dreams...;)

Anyway, off I go to print and visit and whee!

Check Your Apron!

Interesting tidbit of the day: A couple of weeks ago, I received a letter from our insurance. I had NOT A BILL all over it, but also told me that I owed Memorial Medical Center $xx.xx for my clinic visit back in January. The clinic visit I already paid for...in March. The amount on the statement didn't even match the amount I had owed and paid.

I went over to my banking website, took screenshots of the deposited check I sent to Memorial, and sat back to wait for the actual bill to come in.

Today I got mail from Memorial.

It was a check. For $13.44. The exact difference between the March check and June statement.

.....hooookay. I'll be giving them a call come Monday!

Today at work wasn't too bad (That One didn't work). The biggest problems were the boredom at the end of my shift, and the new person. The new person is fine, she's learning at a good rate and can already help out on cold bar. Really, the only issues are (a) I'm a bad teacher and not very helpful for new people, and (b) she keeps calling frappucinnos frappes.

In case I haven't mentioned before in this blog, WE HATE THAT. McDonald's has frappes, we have frappucinnos. Bad enough that customers get them mixed up, if a partner starts mixing up the terms, it's going to confuse the customers and have the rest of us writhing on the floor in agony.

...Seriously. Go order a frappe and try to watch everyone within earshot. I guarantee that at least one eyelid is going to twitch.

There's not much else going on right now. I'm extremely tired and in need of food. Until tomorrow...

Deep Breaths...Almost To Awesome!

Today...was pretty fuh.

The morning was nice, waking up slowly to thunder and rain.

Then I went to work and it all went downhill. I'm not even going to go into it. Ugh.

Fuck it! I'm gone for a week. Tomorrow evening Ryan and I fly to Connecticut, and I spend the next three days after that wallowing in the peoples I've missed like hell for over a year. I CAN'T WAIT! :D

Tomorrow will be the last minute things--laundry so we don't have to worry about it when we get home, packing, getting money and Ryan's paycheck, etc--and then several hours of Hurry Up And Wait. Whee.

...I CAN'T WAIT EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Stresssssss.

The new normal, for me, has been 1-9:30 pre-closing shifts. Occasionally, however, I'll get handed a closing shift, 4:30-10:30. I don't mind these, since it means I have almost an entire day free.

But I'm developing a bad pattern.

The night before at later-shift-day, I'll set my alarm for a later wake-up time. I can sleep in!, I'll think. I have the whole day to do stuff before work!

And I will sleep in. And I'll take my sweet time getting up, checking the internets, eating breakfast, getting showered and dressed, I have the whole day for chores and reading, dum dee dum...wait how is it 3 PM I haven't eaten yet I have to leave in an hour and all I've done is computer stuff AAAAAA.

>.<

Today was a bit more productive than that, at least. I got some pictures edited, although I did find that some of what I thought was a great shoot were actually...not so great. Poo. I also didn't feel 100% happy with the results of some of my edits...I'm hoping that I'm just doing that thing I do to myself when I'm stressed where nothing is good enough and why do I think I'm good at this and ugggghh I'm so stoooopid...

I'm...a bit stressed.

There's so much drama going on at work (both my and other stores), and I can't even go into it all it's that dramatic. Plus tomorrow is the "bachelorette" party (really just a mostly-girls-only pre-wedding party for the bride, our friend Kitty, for whom Sameh and I are co-Maids of Honor :D) and Sunday is the wedding itself and I don't know when I'll get a chance to do some pre-trip errands and what am I bringing and which bags am I packing and aaaaaaa.

...I think it's time for dinner and sleep. Lots of sleep. And tomorrow there shall be dinner and funtimes! Yes! THERE WILL BE FUN, DAMMIT! :D

Yatta!

Awesome way to start the day: get up, jump on computer to throw something on my thumb drive and post my daily picture to my Facebook page, drive to 933, get online, find this same picture REBLOGGED TWICE.

LESS THAN AN HOUR. REBLOGGED TWICE.

\^.^/

For those who don't speak Tumblr, that's pretty awesome, especially since I don't have a gajillion followers yet. I have, in fact, FIVE, and one of them is a friend and another is a weird broken Tumblr bot...don't ask. The point is, on Tumblr, reblogging is almost the best form of flattery, and I get more and more every week, and...eee. :)

I love that today, Memorial Day, really feels like the first day of summer. It's not the first day of the year that the temp is over 80, and it's certainly not the first really humid day of the year. It is, however, to me, the first day it hasn't felt unseasonal. And it's Memorial Day. Awesome.

Of course, I'll think it's less awesome whenI go to work and have to make a million frappucinnos for eight hours, but whatever, time and a half DUDE!

The work situation seems to be improving. I don't know if something changed so That One is being less of an ass, or if I've hit the wall of Going To Ignore As Much As Possible, or some combination of both, but he's been liveable. Mostly.

Meanwhile, That One Shift's girlfriend is pregnant, making THREE people at this store having kids. When I transfered, there was someone pregnant at every store; now it's just mine! I think my favorite part is that, last year, almost twenty people I knew got engaged or married. A few of them also got pregnant, and two even managed to do three out of the four, but the focus was definitely on engagement and marriage. This year, everyone's getting knocked up. This year, I got engaged. THERE HAD BETTER NOT BE A PATTERN HERE.

...Then a past co-worker sat down to catch up and I lost my train of thought. I think I'll get down to what I came here for: working on the Ruthenium Photography empire!

...NO I AM NOT GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF.

Arting and Gaga and Chores, Oh My!

Geez, not that I'm bad at updating or anything...

Birthday was great, work on Sunday was fine.

Yesterday was combinations of fantastic and awful. I woke up around 10, and had decided by 10:30 that I wasn't going to sit around until I had to go to work. Hell with that. I got dressed, packed up my camera and a PB&J, and hit a park five minutes away.

It's called Kate's Park, dedicated to a community leader, and it's filled with flowers and little paths and a sculpture called Educators, and it's connected to Riverwalk, a series of paths and parks stretching down the St. Joseph River through South Bend and MIshawaka. I enjoyed my breakfast sandwich on a bench by some lilac and peonies and thought of home for a bit before picking up the camera and having at.

The weather fought back a bit--very windy, sunny but enough clouds that I had to keep switching settings between full light and full shade--but it was warm, the tone of the light was gorgeous, and I had a garden full of beautiful flowers! I spent at least five minutes trying to capture dew on some tall grass (hi Dad!), and another five minutes getting shots with a very photogenic bumblebee. Overall, it felt like some of the most productive shooting I've ever had.

So I went to work with that feeling, and it stuck pretty well--I cleaned the cafe and helped customers and brewed coffee with a smile and some sunshine.

Then Good Shift put on the Lady Gaga promotion soundtrack, since we started selling her CD yesterday. And That One spent the next two. hours. bitching nonstop about how much she sucks, how she's terrible and weird and annoying, how she needs to jut die already, on and on and on and HOLY CRAP SHUT UP. I didn't even care that he didn't like an artist that I do, he could have been complaining about someone I don't like, but it was nonstop and childish and ugggh.

My mood went up again when he left, and Ryan visited me just in time for my second ten, and I bought a CD from a regular couple, a local duo called The Bergamot that played at my store for the 40th Anniversary Celebration, and they were just overjoyed and appreciative and thanked me again and again! Made me feel nice...plus I love their stuff!

Then right before I left I got the most hostile customer I've ever dealt with. He started off the entire transaction feeling affronted, as if he'd been ignored for a long time (except having just walked in), and mocked me as I tried to serve him. He ended up laughing as I made his coffee (for reasons none of his could comprehend), then apologizing repeatedly as he left. It was surreal and mildly traumatizing.

Anyway...that-all was yesterday. Oy. Oh, and I'm mildly sick, with sniffles and pressure and grossness, and I've managed to pass it on to Ryan. Woo! Don't worry, parents, I'm downing plenty of tea and water at work, taking vitamin C and echinacea at home, getting plenty of rest, and making sure Ryan is, too.

Today I woke to find a text message from Da Boss saying I don't need to go in until 3:30 (two extra hours of free time and only ONE hour of That One? ka-ching!), so I have to finish up this entry and get on with my list:

[o] shower & dress
[o] bank
[o] take more pictures?
[o] upload (and edit?) yesterday's pictures
[o] dishes
[o] laundry
[o] maybe even some dedicated reading time!

I am really enjoying Game of Thrones! It's a great story, and a great read--it's hard to describe exactly why the act of reading it is more enjoyable than with other books, but I'm sure the avid readers out there will understand what I mean. It's also helped me with the TV series, which had me a little confused. I'm actually just about caught up to the show, will start hitting spoilers soon...

Right, off I go!

PS--I have 14 fans on my Facebook Page! They're all people I know, but still!!
PPS--I'm thinking of trying this out, except with photography instead of drawing. Thinking it could be fun and challenging, and maybe could work as promotion for the shop and such? Still contemplating.

Okay, going now!

Ssssstuff.

So. This has been my past couple of days:

[o] Monday, almost got sideswiped by a panel van. Sideswiped isn't quite the right word, since he wasn't looking to swap paint, but be in the space I was currently occupying. Apparently signaling and/or looking when changing lanes is for suckers.

[o] Yesterday, through a conversation with Current Boss Lady that actually came up naturally, I found out that the district's official policy involving roommates and working together is: Nope. There's fear about illness leading to half a store calling out, what if someone gets terminated or promoted, etc etc. I can't transfer to 922 or Ironwood without BJ or Sam having to leave, and Main St would be a worse environment for me. It's Ireland until we move.

[o] I've decided that I can stand A or B alone, but together just...I hate it. Worse, I hate myself when it's just the three of us. I shut down completely. I give up. Coming to Indiana helped me grow out of my shell, I became ME, and I never realized how much I liked to joke and relate and just TALK until I found myself keeping my eyes down and my mouth shut for hours at a time just to avoid the chances of snapping. Short of changing shifts or one of them leaving, there ain't shit I can do about it.

[o] Today I did, sorta-kinda, talk to B about how his and A's hostile complains about customers make me uncomfortable. He didn't really listen and turned it into a story about his brother...but it's actually a good thing. I can honestly say I tried to talk to him about it, if it ever comes to talking to someone else about these things.

[o] Friday begins birthday celebrations for myself and Ben, a shift at 933 who shares my birthday, which falls on Saturday. Why do the celebrations start Friday night? Because this year is his 21st birthday. The plans are for a bunch of people to meet up at an all-ages joint to have dinner and hang out. At midnight, we hit up a real bar (a nice place, I promise, not just a joint) and buy Ben his first legal drink. The whole night promises to be fun!

[o] I have no idea what I'm doing on my actual birthday. I have two actual plans: one is going to 933, partly because I want to and partly because Aurelie made me promise since she works all day and she wants to give me my present. The other plan is remaining under wraps for now. One word: muahaha.

[o] I've started Game of Thrones, the first of the A Song of Ice and Fire series. I'm really enjoying it! It's a good story, told well, and written in a way that's enthralling without being too thick. It's...nice to chew on, I guess is the way to describe it. I think avid readers will understand what I mean.

Speaking of which, I interrupted this entry an hour ago to watch the latest episode of the Game of Thrones HBO series, and it's put me in the mood for reading it. Soooo...kbye.

Pray, Cross Fingers, Put Out Candy, All That Good Stuff...

Today was a long one, although it helped me realize something: I don't necessarily want to leave where I am. I might have to, it might come down to I Go Or He Goes, but I do like it there, for the most part, and I can stand the things I don't like.

Of course, there's still Him to worry about. Trying to get my little ducks in little rows...and hoping he helps me without realizing it...

Tomorrow is the last Happy Hour, which promises to be horrendous. It's also my day pre-closing for That One, and although the closing shift is one of my favorite people to work with, he's also one to bury himself in the paperwork and pasty case and what not, so it'll mostly be just the two of us...pray for me?

At the moment, I'm listening to music and eating corned beef and potatoes and sipping at a White Russian. It's an interesting combination, but it seems to be doing the trick of keeping my mood up, despite the starches and alcohol. Just waiting for Ryan to get off of work at 11 and come on home, and then we can unwind and sleep. Ah, sleep...

Bits Of The Day.

[o] I subbed over at Ironwood today, and it was fantastic! Like a mini-vacation. I worked with Jen, a shift who was at 933 over the summer before getting transferred, one of my favorite people to work with EVER. I also worked with SAMEH, my awesome roommate, and it was inside jokes and nerdery all day! WHEE! I liked my job for the first time in at least a month!

[o] Tomorrow I start what will hopefully become a regular schedule of getting up early and alternatively working out or arting around before work. Tomorrow is a work out day. Wish me luck!

[o] Zach is still in hospice, and the doctors have given him only a day or two. I keep waiting for that awful phone call, and trying not to think about it. It sucks, it sucks, it sucks.

[o] Dinner time!

Fairly annoying work day. There was a ridiculous rush that involved our shift going on his meal, only two of us on the floor, slammed in front AND drive-thru, I spilled not one but TWO drinks, just....ugggggggghhhhhhh. Also, I'm not sure one of the shifts likes me. He's moody and gets a weird attitude with me sometimes. No idea.

I'm exhausted. It feels like a month since my last day off, instead of five days. Oy.

Tomorrow's plan: writing, mad texting with Aurelie (back from vacation, yayyyy!), possible massive amount of laundry. Oh, and sleep.

Such an exciting life!

Working And Sleeping And Writing, Oh My!

So...very...tired.

Yesterday and today had Ryan on opening shift at Target. That means getting up at 7. We're not really early-to-bed birds at all, and I always woke up when he did even thought I didn't have to, so sleep has been rough for both of us the past two nights, for Ryan moreso than me.

Today was my mid-shift this week, which I traded for. I regretted it most of the day. Getting up at 10 after falling back asleep around 8 was painful, and it was...stupidly busy all day. Plus shifts not paying attention to breaks...argh. Just a stupid day all around.

Aurelie and I were going to hang out, but decided that today sucked too much for both of us, and we hated the world too much to be sociable. I still hiked it over to 933 when I got off at 5:30, as writing isn't a social exercise, and found Aurelie still there (she got off at 5), hanging out with BJ and Sameh. We both "tsked" at each other jokingly, we all hung out for a little bit, and then went our separate ways. BJ and Sameh continued on their day-off shopping excursion, Aurelie went off to the Post Office and a night at home, and I settled in for some writing.

And I actually got some done! I was distracted by the interwebs more than I'd like to admit to, but I still managed to pull out...I dunno, some number. All I know is that the current total is 8,738, which isn't too shabby.

This writing streak has been...fantastic. After beating my head against Found for November and most of January, then kick-starting On The/Running only to resort to head-beating by mid-February, this seemingly random spurt of writing with almost no effort is refreshing and wonderful. I'm not sure what's going on--whether the muse decided I needed a break from frustration or I figured out how to get out of my own way or whatever--but I know that I don't care. I'm going to keep milking this while it's goin'!

Something else I find baffling: I'm beginning to like late shifts. I know: bwah?, but really. The night people are slightly less...I don't know...chipper? than the morning people (who are lovely but make me feel like I'm an utter grump by comparison). Plus I'm better at writing before work than after (today was a possible fluke), and, well, I like sleep.

There are other differences, but they're hard to put a finger on. And maybe I'll change my mind. We'll see. For now, seeing that it's currently working to my advantage AND next week's schedule is all pre-closing, I'll just run with it.

Where was I...oh yes. After wrapping up at 933, I came home, where I've been catching up and inputting financials and whatnot. The roommates finally returned a little while ago, and they brought home:

[o] a Lady Gaga poster to add to the collection above the living room couch
[o] the newest Pokemon DS game for Ryan
[o] and a Teavana tea tumbler for me

We have the nicest roommates. Ever. :D

Now, I'm off to either read some more, write some more, or watch some more Weeds with Ryan. Tomorrow is a closing shift for me and a day off for Ryan, so the only guarantee is no-alarm sleeping. BLISS.

Second Day At New Work.

My second day at Ireland & Miami went...pretty well, actually. I'll admit, I started the date feeling very bratty and "No wanna" about it, but coming home was the complete opposite.

Everyone has been perfectly nice to me, making sure I'm getting settled in. There was a fun moment, while I was sitting and waiting to be able to clock in, when Shift N (who seems to be all-but-Assistant-Manager there, in a good way) asked if I'd worked with a certain barista yet. I hadn't. She told me, in no uncertain terms, that if he disrespected me at all, I should let her or Boss Woman know ASAP. He is known far and wide for being disrespectful, obnoxious, etc.

...He was perfectly nice to me. Joked around, but not in the obnoxious, forced-down-your-throat way I had both heard about and witnessed at the store meeting on Monday. He was friendly, he was helpful...I was dumbfounded.

I mentioned this when I got home to both roommates and our friend Aurelie (via text). Between Aurelie and Sameh, I found out that M, a barista at another location who works with Certain Barista, and Shift J, CB's girlfriend and a beloved ex-corker of mine, and Aurelie herself (via M) had told CB that he had damned well better be nice to me or he would pay for it in painful and unhappy ways.*

My response to Aurelie: "D'aw, I have Guardian Baristas!"
Aurelie: "Of course. You're loved."

:)

Today's plans are to clean and tidy up both the apartment and myself, do as much laundry as possible when Ryan gets home in just over an hour, and get my butt to 933 by 3:30. Aurelie gets off then and will be studying, and Katie** will be coming in for the sole purpose of hanging out with us because she misses me.

And tomorrow, on what was supposed to be a third day off I didn't really want, I get to have LW's hours over at 933!

:)

So, off I go to eat and shower and clean and make a list of things to work on at 933...or, as BJ now calls it, Cloud-933. Le sigh. :)

*If requested, I can draw up relationship charts for everyone in that paragraph. Actually, it'd be pretty interesting to draw up a relationship chart for the district...hmmmm....

**To be honest, Katie is one the of the worst parts of leaving 933 when I did. She went on leave to get thorasic surgery the week before I found out, and won't be back until the end of March. I have no idea when, if ever, I'll be able to work with her again. She was one of my all-time favorites to work with. Poop.

First Day At Work v2.0

I'm extremely tired, so this will be short.

My first day at my new store wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Mostly, once I got there and the store meeting got under way, the anticipation left, and all I had to deal with was finding where everything lives and how everyone interacts with others. There are some cool people, some less-than-cool people, and some mysteries. Yay.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! :D

Time for eat and sleep.

Night.

PEOPLE SUCK. THE END.

Dear cop:

If you the people in a Starbucks to continue to respect you and your fellow law enforcement brethren, please do not:

[o] pull in to a parking lot through the exit-only entrance
[o] almost hit a drive-thru customer as you pull into a parking lot in the wrong direction...
[o]...so you can back into a spot the wrong way...
[o] while talking on your cell phone,
[o] then walk past the huge drive-thru line, through the bunch of people waiting for their drinks, wait in the long line, completely ignore the obvious fact that we are SLAMMED, and question our best worker--who is currently double- and even triple-barring--for 10 minutes to figure out your perfect freaking drink (personal note: 10-shot Venti White Mocha? ICK),
[o] sit at the bar texting and watching her make the drink,
[o] only to get to the register to pay and say "There's ten shots in here, right?"

He didn't even act all high-and-mighty, I-am-cop-obey-me. He acted like a charming regular, all aw shucks, aren't I a stinker? WHICH IS WORSE.

ARGH I HATE PEOPLE.

Thank God I have the next two days off. Tomorrow will be spent doing laundry and researching every last detail to get my Etsy photography shop up and running so maybe I can drop some hours and not want to DROWN SOMEONE IN MOCHA.

Best moment of the day: Co-worker getting distracted by a conversation and answering the drive-thru with "Hi, welcome to face, how can I help you?" I literally fell to the ground laughing.

Yesterday's best moment of the day involves this same co-worker, AD, who happens to be a shark FANATIC to the nth degree. She and I were talking, Shift D interrupted to ask me something, AD said "Excuse me, we were playing a game."
"What kind of game?"
"A guessing game. She's guessing my favorite color."
I pipe in: "I already know your favorite color. SHARK."
Aaaaand AD was unable to work for five minutes because she was in the corner hyperventilating.

I AM GOING TO MISS THIS STORE SO MUCH.

At Least They've Gotten A Glimpse Of The Real, Awkward Me.

I didn't sleep well last night. More specifically, I didn't do very well at getting to sleep.

Ryan and I got up and went to my Starbucks. My new Starbucks. I figured that I would go and introduce myself and make a nice first impression and be a grown-up if it killed me.

I was so awkward. I recognized all three of the workers, but only one recognized me, and when I mentioned that I'd be there in less than two weeks they were completely surprised. I ordered and paid for our drinks before Ryan reminded me that we were also getting something to eat. I hate to admit to one of my soon-to-be-co-workers that I couldn't remember her name, and she didn't really let me know if I needed to tell her mine again or not. Then they were busyish with drive-thru and I had to leave without really getting a chance to get to know them.

G'AH.

We got home, and I got myself ready to bake some Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins...only to discover that we didn't have enough chocolate chips. We had just enough time to run out and get some from CVS before Ryan had to go to work...then found that they don't sell chocolate chips at CVS. Every other thing you might need for baking stuffed in aisle, but not chocolate chips. So I got a couple big bars of Hershey Dark and went with it.

The evening was better. I baked the muffins, washed everything, then baked some cupcakes, and even ad-libbed with them! I didn't just make vanilla cupcakes, I made cinnamon sugar cupcakes. There would be maple frosting on them, but (a) we're out of confectioner's sugar, and (b) by the time I remembered the bowl of leftover icing in the fridge it was latish.

I exercised, which was extremely painful but rewarding. Roommates came home and we all vented and shared and stuff. Took a shower. Now I'm about to watch some Netflix in bed with Ryan. Feeling a little glum again about the transferring thing, but...*shrug*

The funny thing is, I've had two more things to post about here, but every day there's enough other stuff or not enough time. They're not big things, just...things worth posting.

One I can kinda put in a nutshell via a link: March Man Madness. It's weird and silly and random and you might not get it. There's not much to get, because it's weird and random, but...well, there it is.

The other thing will have to wait. For now, bed.